Scott McLaughlin in queue for dream Daytona 24 Hrs union with Roger Penske's Porsche team

Penske Racing president Jonatha Diguid has shared that Scott McLaughlin is on the list of drivers that Porsche Penske Motorsport is evaluating for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The New Zealand driver races for Team Penske in IndyCar, but has never raced for the Roger Penske-owned sister IMSA team.

In his three appearances at Daytona, McLaughlin raced for Tower Motorsports twice, in 2023 and 2024, both times in the LMP2 class. In 2025, he signed with Trackhouse Racing, which made its IMSA debut at the 62nd annual Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GTD Pro class. The Kiwi driver had also competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring with Tower in 2023 and emerged victorious in the LMP2 class.

In a recent interview with Sportscar365, Jonathan Diguid spoke about Scott McLaughlin, a three-time Supercars champion, potentially driving for Porsche Penske at Daytona in 2026.

"I think if you ask Scotty, he’d say he’d show up with his helmet and driving suit wherever he’s told to be. He had a good time, and he performed quite well at Sebring, which isn’t the easiest track to get to know. His feedback was that the LMDh car drives a lot closer to a V8 Supercar than it does to an IndyCar, so he was quite comfortable right away," he said.

"We ran four-driver lineups in Daytona in 2024 when we won that race with Josef. It’s something we’re definitely looking at, but we haven’t made any decisions yet."

Diguid was promoted to Penske Racing president in the aftermath of Team Penske's Indy 500 scandal, with Roger Penske firing the top brass at the team, including Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski, and Kyle Moyer.

Scott McLaughlin recently debuted at the Suzuka 1000 km, which is part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and earned an impressive podium in the #2 Johor Motorsports JMR Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3 R.

Scott McLaughlin ready to grab Porsche Penske Daytona drive "with both hands"

Scott McLaughlin at the NTT INDYCAR Series Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Since switching from Supercars to IndyCar, Scott McLaughlin has had a bigger offseason on his hands. The IndyCar schedule runs from March to August-end/September start, giving its drivers a six-month-long offseason.

In 2023, the Team Penske driver made the most of it, competing in three races in IMSA with Tower Motorsports - Daytona and Sebring before the season, and the Petit Le Mans post-season. In 2024, McLaughlin continued with Daytona but dropped the other two, and the same followed in 2025.

In February this year, Porsche Penske fielded him in an IMSA-sanctioned test at the Sebring International Raceway, giving him the necessary experience to race the GTP car, which competes for the overall win at Daytona. Addressing his plans for the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona and a potential partnership with Porsche Penske, Scott McLaughlin said:

"I have driven the GTP car now, which is a good thing, but everyone keeps their cards close to their chest in their regard. I have no idea. Right now, I am just trying to speak with GM and figure out if I can at least get a ride in a Corvette, and if Roger [Penske] wants me, then that’s up to him.

I’d love to try the race overall. It would be really cool. But Porsche already have some amazing drivers, and it depends if there’s a spot. If there is a spot there, I’d grab it with both hands."

Porsche Penske took overall victories in the 2024 and 2025 24 Hours of Daytona. McLaughlin's IndyCar teammate, Josef Newgarden, was a part of the 2024 winning squad alongside Felipe Nasr, Matt Campbell, and Dane Cameron.