STRIKE ONE FOR MCLAUGHLin IN NASHVILLE

The first weekend of back-to-back-to-back IndyCar action on the streets of Nashville did not go as planned for Scott McLaughlin.

A small mistake in qualifying meant he started towards the tail of the field for Team Penske and two incidents in the race cost him track position and speed as he could only trail home in 22nd place.

“A promising day, unfortunately turned into a little bit of a negative,” reports McLaughlin. “Tough day, but we did finish. Press on!”

The race was won by Formula One refugee Marcus Ericsson, after Colton Herta dominated for most of the weekend, with Josef Newgarden the best of the four Team Penske runners in 10th, ahead of Will Power in 14th and Simon Pagenaud in 21st.

As well as being taken out by Ed Jones, who eventually finished sixth, McLaughlin made the highlights reel on the television coverage with a monster sideways slide at more than 250km/h on one of the fastest parts of the track in downtown Nashville. “Did anyone see my save off the bridge? Holy crap,” he says.

The Nashville result still leaves McLaughlin sitting solidly in 13th place in the championship standings, with Newgarden leading the Penske crew in fourth.

“Our car was strong out there.I was coming through the field and having a lot of fun, passing cars. Passing some people on pit strategy as well,” says McLaughlin.

“But unfortunately got taken out twice. It’s disappointing, but it is part of it. You know, I learned a lot this weekend and there are promising signs for me in my IndyCar career.”

The IndyCar season continues this weekend on the road course at Indianapolis, before completing the triple-header at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis in Missouri.
“I’ll continue to focus on making myself better and trying to put myself in better situations so we don’t get caught up in the mess. Learned a lot, love Nashville, and can’t wait to come back here next year,” McLaughlin says.