Team Penske announced Sept. 7 it has reached a multiyear contract extension with NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship contender and former Australian Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin, which will keep the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year with the team for years to come.
The announcement comes as New Zealand native McLaughlin, 29, prepares for this weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where the second-year series racer remains in the hunt for the series championship. McLaughlin enters the weekend after his third win of the season, last Sunday at Portland International Raceway. He is fifth in the series standings, just 41 points behind series leader and teammate Will Power.
“Team Penske has been such a huge part of my career, helping me get to where I’m at today, so I’m excited to continue racing with Roger (Penske), Tim and the entire team well into the future,” McLaughlin said. “Getting a chance to move to the United States and chase my racing dream, driving in the INDYCAR SERIES, is something that would not have been possible without Team Penske, so I’m forever grateful. I’ve had so many great moments with this team, from winning three Supercars Championships to winning the Bathurst 1000 to making my first INDYCAR start. Now, we are competing at a high level, winning races and poles and even competing for the series championship. I can’t wait to see what the future holds with Team Penske.”
McLaughlin first joined Team Penske in 2017, competing in the Australian Supercars Championship, where he finished second in the series standings while also scoring a series-high eight wins and a record 16 pole positions. In 2018, McLaughlin captured the first of his three consecutive Supercars Championships for DJR Team Penske. From 2018-2020, McLaughlin collected 40 wins (including a series-record 18 victories in 2019), 64 podiums and 43 pole positions. He also produced the first win for Team Penske in the prestigious Bathurst 1000, winning from the pole position in 2019.
After the 2020 season, McLaughlin moved to the United States to join Team Penske’s championship NTT INDYCAR SERIES program. He became the first Team Penske driver to capture INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year honors last season and he earned his season-best finish of second at Texas Motor Speedway in his first-ever oval race.
In 2022, McLaughlin opened the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season by earning his first career INDYCAR pole, leading qualifying on the Streets of St. Petersburg. He completed a dominant opening weekend by producing his first INDYCAR SERIES win the following day, leading a race-high 49 laps in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin scored his second career victory in July at Mid-Ohio, and he won his second pole of the season in Nashville. Following his NTT P1 Award and victory last weekend at Portland, McLaughlin has produced eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season while leading 433 laps, ranked second in the series behind teammate Josef Newgarden.
“Scott took a big gamble when he came to INDYCAR, as he knew he would be leaving a series where he knew he could thrive for years to come,” Team Penske President Tim Cindric said. “To see him have the success he has had so far has been really satisfying, as we were confident in his talent.
“We just didn’t know how long it would take for him to gain the confidence in himself. Scott has adjusted quickly and has already established himself as someone that can win at any track during one of the most competitive eras of INDYCAR racing. He continues to be a great representative for our partners, and he has connects well with race fans all over the world. We are excited that he will continue to be part of the Team Penske legacy for years to come.”