“I was nearly sick before the run”: Scott McLaughlin opens up on the jitters of racing in Indy 500

Scott McLaughlin has detailed the overwhelming nerves he had to deal with ahead of his Indy 500 qualifying. The 31-year-old described the lead-up to qualifying as one of the most challenging he has had to deal with.

The Team Penske driver, who clocked the second-fastest time of the session, explained how he was "nearly sick" prior to taking to the oval course for his run. Detailing his thoughts in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by IndyCar expert Matt Archuleta, the New Zealand racer stated:

"This is my fifth one of these, and it does not get any goddamn easier. I was nearly sick before the run."

Scott McLaughlin posted an average speed of 233.013 MPH during his four runs to climb to second on the timing sheet behind Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou. The former Supercars champion, who has grown seamlessly into the demands of the IndyCar Series, had clinched pole position during the 2024 edition of the Indy 500 event.

The seven-time IndyCar race winner's qualification time was the best of the three Penske cars, ahead of Josef Newgarden [third] and Will Power [11th]. With his first outing at qualifying now behind him, Scott McLaughlin will now shift focus to going one step better at the 109th running of the Indy, as he fancies his chances of a race victory at the Brickyard showpiece.

Scott McLaughlin reacts after outing at Indy 500 practice

Scott McLaughlin previously reacted following his strong performance during the Friday sessions of the Indy 500 practice. The Kiwi driver, who is currently in his fifth season in the open-wheel racing series, appeared up to speed with the demands of the new hybrid technology engine system around the oval course.

The former Supercars champion topped the first practice session of the day with a lap time of 223.954 MPH. The Penske team #3 driver posted a lap time better than the Chip Ganassi duo of Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, who posted the second and third fastest times of the session, respectively. Reflecting on his pace on his X account following the session, the 31-year-old wrote:

“Got ourselves a speed machine heading into the weekend. Cooler temps tomorrow, big boost, can’t wait!”

Scott McLaughlin has since picked up from where he left off through the Friday sessions, as he posted one of the fastest times during the first qualifying session for the Brickyard showpiece. The Christchurch native will now shift his focus to ensure he records a repeat of his final round qualifying performance as he did in 2024, where he claimed pole position.

McLaughlin will, however, aim to move a step further than just securing pole position with a race victory. A win at the Indy 500 will see him become just the second Kiwi driver to clinch the Borg-Warner Trophy since Scott Dixon in 2008.