St. Pete Looks Good For McLaughlin

Team Penske is scrambling in the USA to get Scott McLaughlin on the grid for the final IndyCar race of 2020.

There is still no final confirmation of the program, but things are looking positive for his graduation to a race place in the single-seater series.

The president of Team Penske, Tim Cindric, confirms to Race News that work is well underway to parachute McLaughlin into the final race of this year’s IndyCar series, on the streets of the Florida city of St. Petersburg, on October 25.

He would be Penke’s fourth driver in the race, alongside Josef Newgarten, Simon Pagenaud and Aussie Will Power.

“We have considered this and will be prepared to do so should the opportunity exist. Still seems to be quite a few moving parts,” Cindric says.

“Considerations are obviously equipment, logistics, immigration and the paperwork required by the Series. All of which we are working on.”

Cindric admits there is still strong ongoing interest in having McLaughlin as a full-time IndyCar racer with Team Penske in 2021, which would mean his loss to Supercars in Australia, but says it is too early to talk about anything concrete.

“We are really focused on trying to make St. Pete happen and we will go from there,” he says.

IndyCar is rebuilding through the pandemic in the USA, including the successful running of the Indianapolis 500, but Cindric says it is also too early yet to predict how things will evolve into 2021.

“Pre-Covid it was really good. (Television) Ratings have been up and there had been lots of momentum,” he says.

“The recent announcement of Jimmie Johnson coming to the series (from NASCAR) is generating a lot of excitement from a different type of fan.”

“Hopefully the pandemic will get behind us soon as that is the unknown that is slowing down many of the decisions for many of the parties involved.”