Scott McLaughlin reflects on 'crazy' IndyCar journey from public enemy to proud US citizen

Scott McLaughlin has witnessed both the ups and downs of the IndyCar world. While he was downplayed by many in the racing realm after being disqualified from the St. Petersburg classification, he has had a higgledy-piggledy journey as the New Zealand-born driver is now a US citizen after his antics last year.

The 31-year-old had recorded a podium finish at the opening race in St. Petersburg and accompanied his teammate, Josef Newgarden, at the rostrum. However, a few weeks later, an investigation found Team Penske's misconduct as it had bypassed the push-to-pass limitations, allowing its drivers to gain an unfair edge over their rivals.

This led to a negative perception being built around the Team Penske drivers, and McLaughlin was at the helm of it alongside Newgarden. Though the team and its drivers apologized for the illegal tactic, they slowly gained back the fans' trust over the next few months.

Talking about the journey he endured en route to becoming a US citizen this year, Scott McLaughlin said (via the Marshall Pruett podcast):

"My happy spot was in a racecar. My happy spot was–what I did at Barber [Motorsports Park] and then I had a baby girl [Lucy] on the way, and so much to look forward to; that point in time was pretty stressful. I don't take pride in the way that all happened but I take pride in the way we got through that. Myself, my team, my family, [and] my wife. Now, here with a beautiful baby girl, Lucy, and now an American citizen as well. So, it's kind of crazy."

McLaughlin will look to build upon his racing CV by having a better outing at the 109th Indy 500.

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Scott McLaughlin gears up for the upcoming Indy 500

Scott McLaughlin at the INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

While Scott McLaughlin has not had fate on his side at the Indy 500 since he joined the racing realm in the United States, his fortunes turned upside down last year. He claimed the pole position for the elusive race and looked to win. His teammate, Josef Newgarden, eventually won, and the Kiwi finished the race in sixth.

However, McLaughlin is not deterred by his previous performance and has continued his strong pace into the 2025 season. He topped the Day 2 open testing timing charts at IMS and reflected upon his performance (via IndyCar):

"We had a really good day, a good couple of days. [I] felt like we got through a lot from a hybrid perspective. Overall, a really solid (car) balance to kick off the Month of May."

Though McLaughlin hopes to win the Indy 500, Newgarden wants to complete his three-peat at the fabled race. Thus, an intra-team fight might occur at Team Penske on May 25.