Scott McLaughlin | |||||||
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Nationality | New Zealander | ||||||
Born | Scott Thomas McLaughlin 10 June 1993 Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||
IndyCar Series career | |||||||
68 races run over 5 years | |||||||
Team(s) | No. 3 (Team Penske) | ||||||
Best finish | 3rd (2023, 2024) | ||||||
First race | 2020 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) | ||||||
Last race | 2024 Music City Grand Prix (Nashville Superspeedway) | ||||||
First win | 2022 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) | ||||||
Last win | 2024 Milwaukee Mile 250, Race 2 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
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Supercars Championship career | |||||||
Championships | 3 (2018, 2019, 2020) | ||||||
Races | 253 | ||||||
Wins | 56 | ||||||
Podiums | 106 | ||||||
Pole positions | 76 |
Scott Thomas McLaughlin (/mɪˈklɒxlɪn/; born 10 June 1993) is a New Zealand racing driver. He currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He previously raced in the Supercars Championship, in which he won the drivers' title in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
McLaughlin won the 2012 Dunlop V8 Supercar Series and made his Supercars Championship debut at the 2012 Dick Smith Sandown 500 as a co-driver to Jonathon Webb at Tekno Autosports. Having made a substitute appearance for Garry Rogers Motorsport at the final event of 2012, McLaughlin was signed by the team to compete full-time in the 2013 season. He took his first race victory in the sixth race of the year, becoming the youngest driver to win a Supercars Championship race, and went on to finish his rookie season in tenth place. McLaughlin remained with the team for the next three seasons and enjoyed continued success, recording 17 pole positions and eight race victories for the team, with a best championship placing of third in 2016.
In July 2016 it was announced that McLaughlin would join DJR Team Penske for the 2017 Supercars Championship. He enjoyed immediate success with the team, taking a record 16 pole positions during the season as well as eight race victories. McLaughlin finished runner-up to Jamie Whincup in the championship, with Whincup securing his seventh championship title in the final race of the season. The following season, McLaughlin took his maiden championship title after a close battle with Whincup's teammate Shane van Gisbergen in the second half of the year. In 2019, McLaughlin dominantly won his second championship, winning a record 18 races during the season, including the Bathurst 1000, and securing the title with one event remaining. McLaughlin completed a hat-trick of championship wins in 2020, taking a further 13 race victories.
During 2020 it was announced that McLaughlin would join the IndyCar Series with Team Penske in 2021. He made his debut at the 2020 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.