Scott McLaughlin gives clear verdict on Shane van Gisbergen's Indy 500 prospects

Scott McLaughlin has given his verdict on how NASCAR Cup Series star Shane van Gisbergen would perform at the Indy 500 if he were to compete in the premier IndyCar race. The two New Zealand drivers were rivals during their time in the Supercars championship.

McLaughlin came out on top most of the time, winning three championships consecutively from 2018 to 2020. Once he left to race in IndyCar with Team Penske, SVG won two consecutive Supercars championships before leaving to race in NASCAR.

Both drivers have found their groove in their respective racing series, with SVG dominating on road/street courses in the Cup Series this season. In a recent interview with Speedcafe, Scott McLaughlin was asked if he expects the Trackhouse Racing driver to race in the prestigious Indy 500.

"I think he’s a little scared of us on the ovals," the Team Penske driver jokingly said. "He’d be awesome at it. He’s just very diverse with what he does with his racing, and he’d be totally fine. It’d be pretty cool, definitely be pretty cool to see him in IndyCar."

Shane van Gisbergen has won four out of five road/street races in 2025 and secured a P6 finish in the fifth. However, he has struggled on ovals, with a P14 at Richmond as his best result, and that is what drew the "scared of us on the ovals" joke from Scott McLaughlin.

As for McLaughlin, he had a torrid outing at the 109th Indy 500. The Team Penske driver crashed out on the pre-race pace lap while swerving on the main straight to warm his tires.

Scott McLaughlin on how he'd SVG a "run for his money" in NASCAR

Scott McLaughlin at the NTT INDYCAR Series BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland - Source: Getty

Following the 2025 IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland, rumors circulated about Scott McLaughlin potentially moving to NASCAR. It began after commentator Townsend Bell suggested this potential move while addressing Team Penske's IndyCar driver situation for the 2026 season.

Bell's suggestion created a lot of rumor noise, with McLaughlin addressing the situation a few days later on an episode of the Off Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast. The No. 3 Chevy driver emphasized that his focus is on excelling in IndyCar, and while he would love to take up a one-off opportunity in NASCAR, a switch wasn't on the cards. After clearing that up, he said:

"Honestly, I just don't think as much as it would be cool and stuff, it's not just on my radar right now. There's too many things, especially after the year we've had," Scott McLaughlin said.

The 32-year-old also claimed that he would give his compatriot Shane Van Gisbergen, who was on a hot winning streak back then, tough competition.

"I definitely think I could give Shane a run for his money. But at the same time, I'm very happy for Shane. He's so detailed, driven, and very, very fast," McLaughlin added.

McLaughlin had an unexpectedly mediocre 2025 IndyCar season. He started the season with pole position at St. Petersburg and finished it with two consecutive podiums in Milwaukee and Nashville. However, there were very few highlights in between, with misfortune affecting his results on days where he didn't commit mistakes.