IndyCar Returns to The Milwaukee Mile with Scott McLaughlin. Will Power celebrates Portland win

ROGER:

This is Roger Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans and insiders view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, as we continue our fourth season of giving IndyCar fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NTT IndyCar Series and the drivers and teams that compete in the Indianapolis 500. It's off to the Milwaukee Mile for this weekend's doubleheader, the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s at one of the most historic ovals in racing. The 1.015 mile flat oval located at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin opened in 1903 and has been hosting IndyCar races since 1939. There have been 114 IndyCar races at the Milwaukee mile since that time, but the last IndyCar race was in 2015 when Sebastian Bordet was the winner. Some of the greatest drivers in IndyCar history have won at the Milwaukee Mile over the years, including Roger Ward, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Johnny Rutherford, Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., and of course, Gordon Johncock. The Milwaukee mile has featured numerous significant moments in racing history with the legendary oval hosting more races for Foyt than any other venue. One driver who hopes to add his name to that legendary list of winners is team Penske Scott McLaughlin. We will catch up with the driver of the number three Chevrolet later in this episode of pit pass Indy. But before heading to Milwaukee, let's look back at the most recent race, the bit Nile.com grand Prix of Portland on August 25th at Portland international raceway. It was a powerful performance for Team Penske's willpower as he dominated Sunday's Benton Isle.com Grand Prix of Portland to become IndyCar's first three-time winner in 2024. Power started on the outside of the front row and was in the lead by the time he came through Turn 1 at the start of the race. He ran away from the field, giving up the lead during his three pit stops as the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet led 101 laps of the 110-lap race. It was the final IndyCar race on a road course this season. Power finished 9.8267 seconds ahead of IndyCar Series points leader Alex Pillow of Chip Ganassi Racing in the number 10 Honda. Power entered the race fourth in points, 66 points behind Palou. The two-time IndyCar Series champion trimmed 12 points off Palou's lead with the 44th IndyCar win of his career. He moves back into second place in the standings behind Palou, 54 points back, the maximum number of points available for any IndyCar race. The final three races of the season are on ovals, beginning with next weekend's Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s at the Milwaukee Mile. The season wraps up with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Super Speedway on September 15th. If Palou leaves this Sunday's second race at the Milwaukee Mile with more than a 54-point lead, he wins his third IndyCar Series championship and will become the first back-to-back IndyCar Series champion since Dario Franchitti won three straight from 2009 to 2011. But Power is attempting to win his third IndyCar Series championship himself and may have the advantage on the ovals. Team Penske drivers have won every oval race this season. Pillow has never won an oval race, but finished second in the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade at Iowa Speedway on July 14th. The winner of that race was Will Power. I caught up with Power, the winning driver at Portland, for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. Our next guest delivered a powerful performance at the bit.ly.com Grand Prix of Portland. It's Team Penske's Will Power, who becomes a three-time winner in IndyCar this season. Will, there's nobody else that's won more races than that this year. How important is it for you to be the winningest driver in 2024?

WILL:

Well, today was extremely important because it was sort of the only way we're going to keep this championship alive. It would have been nice if Palou could have had a worse day, but that's it. Every race from here needs to be Finishing ahead of Pillow simply we've ticked.

BRUCE:

I was going to bring that up about Pillow because you had a dominating race. You let 101 of 110 laps, but yet the guy who finished the second is the guy that you have to beat for the championship. So all in all, you weren't able to chop away as many points as you would have liked. Is that frustrating when you race against Pillow to know no matter how good you are, the guy's right behind you?

WILL:

No, not like I, no, not really. Like, you know, I, I know how hard it is to win this series. I knew that he, he is most probably going to be flawless. It would take like a, you know, an engine issue and mechanical, I think, um, for this to go bad for him. Um, anytime you're winning, you're not really frustrated, but, uh, yeah, if we, you know, it's putting the pressure on him a bit, if we keep executing week in week out, um, and, uh, Yeah, I mean, I enjoy racing him. He's the best. I remember thinking when I was out there, like, beating this guy, you're beating the best guy. Like, he's a hard guy to beat in a race. Yeah. Yeah. Enjoy racing him, to be honest.

BRUCE:

You had one point in the race where you were on the track. You had just pitted. You were at speed. Alex is coming out of the pits, blending in. He got pretty close to you there for a while. How great a racing was that? And how relieved were you when you were finally able to pull away from him?

WILL:

Yeah, it got really close there when we caught some back markers and he was right on me on the back straight. I didn't think he would take a huge risk because it was just unnecessary for him with his points lead. But yeah, I was constantly worried to the pit stop sequence that that's where he's going to get us. He gets us a lap longer, you know, we, you know, and just simply does a really good in lap and gets us in the exchange. But our exchanges are really good and Yeah, it was usually undercutting's not the way, but it seemed to be the way today. We were able to execute every time and beat him out. Yeah, very, very good day.

BRUCE:

And how important was it for you to save that last set of sticker red tires?

WILL:

That helped a lot for last 10. It really did. Get past the back markers, put a lot of time on him, then you can just ease off a little bit on the tyre just to save some if there's a restart at the end. Very nice to get on good tyres. The car was really fast on new tyres.

BRUCE:

44th career IndyCar victory for willpower. The names in front of you are Mario Andretti, Scott Dixon, and A.J. Foyt. I know there isn't anybody right up there yet. You got to get into the 50s before you get in the third. But to keep seeing these numbers get bigger for career victories, how much does that make you realize just what you've accomplished in your career?

WILL:

Yeah, every time you add to that win list, like it's hard as it is to win now too as well. But yeah, it feels very good. Very good. I think about the names I'm around, it's something I wouldn't have envisioned when I started all this. But yeah, super, super happy and it's cool to be there.

BRUCE:

And wrapping up here with willpower of Team Penske, it's off to the Milwaukee Mile for the first IndyCar race since 2015. Back in 2014, you dominated that race in winning. How important is it for you to go into that track as a former winner with the experience of what it takes to win on that track? One, it's a track that Alex Floe has never competed on.

WILL:

It's a bit of an unknown for everyone, the tire, the hybrid, the everything. We've tested it a couple of times. I really don't know how it's going to play out. I just don't. I'm not sure how we will be compared to them. They may be really good there. I think they're very good at Nashville, just based on Dixon's speed. So yeah, to me, I don't know. I'm hoping that we have an advantage because we've been very good on short ovals, but it's such a different oval. I just don't know.

BRUCE:

And Will Power, last question. A week ago, you were pretty upset with the way things turned out at Worldwide Technology Raceway. How much difference is there the way you feel now compared to the way you felt then?

WILL:

Yeah, I got, I mean, I wasn't that, yeah, I was upset, but you saw so many points just go to waste there, but I moved on quickly, focused on Portland. You obviously look back at those last two races we've had, I'm like, man, we could be so much closer, but that's racing, isn't it? That's what makes a champion, you don't make those mistakes.

BRUCE:

And it's time for us to move on quickly as everybody packs up and heads to the Milwaukee Mile for two races next week in the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s. Will Power, congratulations on your win at Portland. Good luck next week at Milwaukee and good luck in that championship fight with Alex Pillow. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass, Cindy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

WILL:

Yo, thanks, Grace. Appreciate it.

BRUCE:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

WILL:

This is Will Power of Team Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Now that we've heard from Will Power at Team Penske, let's catch up with one of his teammates, Scott McLaughlin. The driver of the number two Chevrolet won the Hy-Vee Home Front 250 presented by Instacart at Iowa Speedway on July 13th for his first Oval victory. He has improved his Oval game dramatically since joining IndyCar in the final race of the 2020 season. Here's my exclusive interview with McLaughlin from the Team Penske shop in Mooresville, North Carolina for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske is back on Pit Pass Indy. This time we're heading back to one of the great historic tracks and racing, the Milwaukee Mile, for not just one race in IndyCar, but two. It's the Hy-Vee Twin 250s this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile. Saturday evening race, Sunday race, on Labor Day weekend. You're turning out to be a pretty damn good oval track driver. You got to really look at that as a potential to get two victories.

SCOTT:

Yeah, I mean for sure. I think I'm very proud of the way that we've worked together, me and Benny, to make myself somewhat decent on an oval. And I've had good yardsticks and Will and Joseph to make that happen. But yeah, Milwaukee's an interesting one. It's quite an old surface. The package we're rolling there now with the hybrids is very different. I mean, back in the day it used to be flat there in qualifying. I don't think we're going to be flat there in qualifying this year. You know, it's going to be an interesting race, how it pans out. I really do hope that we have a second lane that we can make workable, because I think that will make the racing really good. With the amount of deg, I think there's two or three seconds of degradation. And I really enjoyed racing there. I mean, it's so crazy. Like, this place is in the middle of a show grounds. I've never been there before. Seen it for the first time. Milwaukee is a great place for us to race. You know, very passionate fans. And hopefully they come out in spirit when we're there.

BRUCE:

Well, it's certainly in the home of bratwurst beer and cream puffs. And if, yes, if, if you win the race, I believe they give you a giant cream puff. Will power had that happen to him when he won in 2014, he got the cream puff and who was that they came up and. Oh, yeah. Juan Pablo Montoya came up to him with the cream puff and got it and it ended up in his ear and he had to go to the medical. Oh, no. To get the cream puff.

SCOTT:

Oh, I didn't know that. Out of his. Yeah. Oh, he would have loved that because him and Juan used to get along very well.

BRUCE:

Yeah. Just wear ear protection if you win the race to avoid getting the cream puff in the ear. But the extra weight of the hybrid engine. Do you feel that more on a flat track like Milwaukee than on a track that had some banking like gateway in Iowa?

SCOTT:

No, I, yes, I think you do probably feel it a little bit more. From my experience. It's made it quite difficult, it's quite difficult on entries to the trip, the turn one, turn three, because you got to be very precise where you position the car. But it's the same for everyone. You just got to try and figure out a way around it, especially with car setup. Because the hardest thing is, yeah, the balance is very different entry to exit or entry to middle in terms of what the car is feeling like. So trying to figure out a setup that works in both ends is a big thing there.

BRUCE:

And also as far as the electrical charge that you'll be getting out of the hybrid unit, is that going to come into play more at a flat track? Or does that happen have a bigger benefit at a bank track?

SCOTT:

No, I think that you'll notice a lot more people talking about hybrid and regeneration. and using the regen to actually slow the car down. I think that we noticed that in testing there when we first went there and actually tested the hybrid for the first time. So I think, look, you can't beat car pace and how you look after the car and how the car feels. That's going to be capital number one. And then after that, it's going to be how you implement your strategy and the way you use the hybrid. And yeah, that place is definitely a place that you feel the regeneration and the battery helping slow down the car.

BRUCE:

And you want to slow down the car, obviously, when you're going in the corner. So do you do that with using the regen rather than braking?

SCOTT:

Yeah. I mean, in qualifying particularly, like, but at the same time, you don't want to overslow the car. So it's a twofold thing that you got to try and balance right, whether that's how much regen you're actually making the car. you have, you might turn that down, you might turn it off, you might have it on more, it just depends on your driving strategy. But it's a fun little tool and makes things what was already a pretty busy job on a short oval makes it even busier now.

BRUCE:

Entering the gateway race, there were people that were thinking that the hybrid isn't ready for prime time yet. And that the oval races for the rest of the season aren't going to be that good. Obviously we proved them wrong with a great race at gateway. Does that give you more hope now for Milwaukee and also wrapping up the season at Nashville, that the hybrid extra weight can be offset with the package?

SCOTT:

Yeah, I think so. It's got to be, there's a question mark for both of those. Like, you know, you hope that it hits. It is very different track to track as we're seeing from Iowa to Gateway, now to Milwaukee and Nashville. I mean, I haven't driven Nashville, but I've driven Milwaukee. And when we tested there, it was very hard to use the second lane. But it's also, when you're testing there, it's quite hard because everyone is just practicing, trying to get raw speed out of the car and taking the same lane. Once the racing starts, I think that we might see different things happen. Certainly hope for the show. But yeah, if it is, it's going to be a crazy race there.

BRUCE:

When you were up there testing, do you feel the history of that place? Because they've been running IndyCar races there since 1939. And that track opened in 1903.

SCOTT:

Yeah, you feel it through your buttcheeks for sure because there's a lot of bumps. Different pavements and color. And then the asphalt itself is very old and tired. I think they've done a really good job with the updates they've done to the track with the pit road and also some of the front straight where it was really bumpy. The biggest thing I think from testing there, we just need to make sure the track's super clean because obviously they hadn't been raced there a lot longer and I think there's going to be truck racing there just before we're there so hopefully that cleans off the track a little bit and that's only going to help our raceability as well.

BRUCE:

Team Penske has won every oval race so far this season. We're going to finish the season with three more oval races. How badly do you want to keep that streak going, especially with you being the winner?

SCOTT:

Yeah, I didn't even know that stat. I completely forgot it, but that's true. So yeah, that's a big deal for us. For me, I want to get through Portland and get those points and then go to Milwaukee. If we have two wins, we might find ourselves in a really good position come Nashville. So that's what I'm completely focused on. I'm very aggressive. I'm going to be very aggressive in the race and make sure that we're in a position to put ourselves With a fighting chance towards below But you know that kids a robot so, you know, he's he's very very good and very consistent So we're gonna have to do a lot and that's including probably trying to win the races Are you surprised how far the hybrid has come since Iowa to?

BRUCE:

gateway

SCOTT:

No, I think it's very similar. Like it's, honestly, I think where we were in Iowa to where we are in Gateway, like, the way we're using it is very similar. I think we all had a real, at least our team had a pretty decent thought process around what we wanted to do strategy wise with the hybrid. But yeah, the strategies are very different on both those tracks. But yeah, it's not from a you know, how the hybrids work and it's all been very similar those track to track. It's just how you deploy it.

BRUCE:

In Iowa, you said you were not going to consider yourself an IndyCar driver until you won on the oval. Well, you won on the oval. We all thought you were an IndyCar driver even before you showed up in IndyCar. How have you developed into a very good oval driver?

SCOTT:

I've got great people around me. I mean, Benny, my engineer, he sets up an amazing race car and he knows exactly what I want. So that's a huge help. And then I'm learning off really good teammates. Joseph, Will, both Indy 500 winners. Tremendously good on an oval, especially Joseph. And I mean, Will's just super quick as well. You know, when I see the data for me to go out and go fast, it's like, well, if he's flat, well, I'm going to be flat. So that's, you know, and hopefully in 10, 15 years time, I haven't lost that bravery. But, um, you know, that's, it's, it's a good feeling knowing you've got decent yardsticks to be able to compare yourself to and, and, and build up to it. I think there's still things that chinks in my armor where I'm lacking confidence. That's, you know, getting up to the top lane before other people and whatnot. But I'm getting there. I think I'm building with my own sort of, you know, my own rate of knots, you know, my own speed. And that's probably where like Joseph and Will have got me a little bit in traffic or something like that. But I thought the gateway race that I had, I know I wanted Iowa, but I thought that was the best oval race I've ever driven in my career. I was very confident with where I was positioning the car. And that's a huge deal. Having the confidence, having the trust in your car to make big moves when you need to, especially in lap traffic. And we were able to do that.

BRUCE:

How about also just returning to a place where you really think about all the great drivers that have raced there and now you're going to be one of them.

SCOTT:

Yeah, it's awesome. I just love the history of this category and the people that have raced before me. especially at this place, at Team Penske. I mean, driving number three. I know Alio was number three for so many years with all the Indy 500 wins and stuff. And that's ultimately still my dream, is to win an Indy 500, you know, almost over a championship, just because I know how hard it is to do, and how immortal you become when you do win an Indy 500. And oval racing is the backbone of our series, and I take it very seriously. Being good on an oval, and I'm really enjoying the progress we've made.

BRUCE:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

SCOTT:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Here's the rest of my featured interview with Team Penske Scott McLaughlin as IndyCar heads back to the Milwaukee Mile for this weekend's High V Milwaukee Mile 250s. You mentioned your engineering, also mentioned your teammates. You also have an engineering alliance with AJ Foyt Racing. Have you learned much from their engineering staff with Michael Cannon? Also, one of their drivers has had some pretty good oval races, Santino Ferrucci. What have you guys really learned from having that engineering alliance with them?

SCOTT:

I think that's more probably like a question for Benny and Dave Faustino and whatnot. But from a driving perspective, I haven't seen a huge amount. There's times where Sentino or Stingray for that matter have been reasonably quick at a road course and you might just in a sector and you might look at it and see what goes on. But like, you know, we still, Yeah, from a driving perspective, I haven't learned a ton. But I know, or it's always nice to compare notes to other teams and have extra data coming in. And I think that's where the partnerships been good, not just for us, but for them as well. And, you know, that's, you know, having just extra, you know, faces on computers and data coming in for us all to look at is always a good thing.

BRUCE:

Alex Polo has always said that one of his weaknesses is short ovals, but yet he finished second at Iowa, which was a pretty good finish for him. He hasn't won on a short oval. If you or another team Penske driver, anybody that's still in the championship race, whether it be Scott Dixon or anybody else, should end up sweeping the Milwaukee race. Do you feel like that just makes Nashville pretty much winner take all?

SCOTT:

Yeah. Yep, for sure. I mean, if we win out from Milwaukee onwards, there's no reason why we can't put ourselves in the position and it puts pressure on Alex to perform. He's not going to be able to just finish sixth and seventh if we're winning the race. If we can win three races to finish the year off, I'm looking at it right now. At this point in the championship, I'm winning win or go home, win or bust really. You know, you have to think like that because you're the attacker and you've got to put the pressure on Alex. Alex is one race away from being right where we need him. But he's very good and doesn't make mistakes either and his team are very good. They always put him in the right position. So we're going to have to be at our best and he's going to be at his best to beat us and us to beat him.

BRUCE:

Does he amaze you that he's got this cat-like quality of just avoiding trouble?

SCOTT:

Yeah, he annoys me. Me and Alex get along very well. He's a good guy. The thing is he's like so fast and so good. But he's so nice as well. So it's very hard to dislike him. But he's... You've got to appreciate his talent and his... The way he goes about his racing. If anything, it's like it's inspiring. where you can improve your game against someone like that. Obviously he's younger than me or whatever, but he's done a lot of open wheel racing. So I feel like it's good to see it and I'm trying to elevate my game to his, because his game is just no mistakes and just consistency. We've seen a couple of chinks here and there, but ultimately he's been very good and that's why he's been so successful. We'll just keep working. I know I can beat him. I know I've got enough speed to do that. I know I've got just as much speed, if not more than him, but it's a matter of just putting it together and that's where he's very good.

BRUCE:

Hate to bring this up, but should you come close to the championship but not get it, how do you not think back to the points that you weren't able to collect at the season opening race at St. Pete because of the disqualification?

SCOTT:

Well, yeah, we always knew that was going to be a tough comeback. You're always going to look at it, and with the tightness of the championship, that's how it is. But there's also been points along the way I made a mistake at Laguna, I made a mistake at Detroit. Like it hasn't been a clean, I don't think it's been clean enough from my end this year. And some years you have that, you have the speed. There's a lot of points like on the table if I just finish in some of the spots where I was going to finish. And that's all, you know, that's all just... pie-in-the-sky stuff and thinking about it, but obviously St. Pete was third. Detroit at the time, I was second catching Colton in first, made a mistake when it just started spitting, put in the fence, my fault. Laguna with Will, I made a mistake and was too aggressive when I probably could have just settled for seventh. And then the last one is probably Toronto, where, you know, me and Will got together. And that was probably an easy fifth or sixth. So you combine those points together, we are probably right where Alex is, if not beating him, but that's That is racing, and you can't make these mistakes. And that's just, you know, dreamboat stuff if you think it's just going to be like, oh, you know, it's always going to be smooth sailing, because it's not. And that's on me. That's on the team. It's on communication, keeping me calm. It's on everything. But we'll learn from our mistakes and get better regardless of the result if we finish first, second, or third.

BRUCE:

And also, how important is it that a lot of people wanted to see IndyCar return to Milwaukee, but it really took Roger Penske dealing with the state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Fair Board to make it happen?

SCOTT:

Yeah, I mean, I just hope that the people that were up in arms about it and wanted it to happen so bad come out and support it. You know, there's all this, you know, kerfuffle on social about Roger trying to bring this back, you know, bringing Milwaukee back, but you want to see the ticket sales up. And, you know, And it's one of those deals where if they don't get behind it, everyone can only buy themselves, right? So I know it's hard these days. It's expensive. But you're trying to make it. I think Roger's done a really good job with Milwaukee and whatnot to make it affordable for most families to be there, have great seats, have great viewing, have two races, two IndyCar races in the middle of Milwaukee in the back end of the season where it's just drama filled, you know, that's exciting. And I just hope people come out and support it because there's been a lot of effort gone into that side.

BRUCE:

The last race of the year will be the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Super Speedway on September 15th. Beginning with next year's schedule though, IndyCar season is going to end on Labor Day weekend. All races will be on Fox. It'll be 19 Fox opportunities, counting the two days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks and some of his key personnel were at Worldwide Technology Raceway to meet with drivers, to meet with team owners, to meet with a lot of people. You were one of them. What did you come away thinking of some of the ideas that Fox can do to help the sport? And what were some of the ideas you suggested that you'd like to see Fox do with their telecast?

SCOTT:

Well, I mean, firstly, I'm very excited for Fox to be a part of it. Like you said, network races all next year. They're very passionate. I mean, Eric's been to many Indy 500s. I mean, he was there this year just camping. Like he's just been a fan. Like he loves it. And you need passion and people that want to see the sport grow. And I think they genuinely have a passion to build this brand and be on this ride with IndyCar. to get big ratings. And you're only going to do that with consistency, which is what we talked about, obviously, like consistency on network broadcast, which we're going to have people going to know where to find us. And that's going to be on Fox, which is amazing. I think they're open to ideas of simplifying the coverage to a point where the general person can follow a three-stop, four-stop, five-stop race in IndyCar where there's different compounds, fuel strategies, how does Dixon go from 20th to first in the space of 20 laps, like, how did that all work and simplifying that graphically and by having certain individuals on the broadcast that can help you know, show that and showcase the sport. I personally, I'm super excited. I think it's going to be a game changer for the sport. I think it's going to be a massive boost that we need. And look, NBC were fantastic partners and helped us. But I think that you need, you always need a little bit of a refreshment. And I think the sport has got this with Fox and Eric and his team. And they were great people and very enthusiastic about the sport of indica.

BRUCE:

And also they have the opportunity to promote IndyCar in its telecast during the NFL playoffs and even the years when they have the Super Bowl. And that's promotion that you can't really put a dollar figure on. It's so valuable.

SCOTT:

Yeah, that's right. And I think, you know, Eric was, you know, for him it's and his team, it's bucket list stuff to promote the Indy 500 and to be a part of one of America's biggest sporting events that we see. So, um, Yeah, to have that passion and have that excitement from the heads of a massive corporation. I don't know how anyone can be upset about that or worried about the future because I think it's gonna be awesome.

BRUCE:

And wrapping up here with Scott McLaughlin, as soon as the checkered flag drops to finish the season, when's the due date to become a father? And also, do you have the nursery finished?

SCOTT:

No, the nursery's not finished, Bruce. But yeah, baby girl due in October 13. So, planned it absolutely to perfection. I'm very excited to be a dad for six months until March next year. So, my wife's very happy I'll be home a lot. But I'm sure David Hovis from Team Penske always works me pretty hard. So, I'll be going from different spots. I've got to keep my golf game up too. So, I'm going to try and work that in being a dad as well. I don't know how that's going to go.

BRUCE:

I was going to say there might be a few sleepy holes on the golf course because a newborn does have a tendency to keep a different schedule than the rest of us.

SCOTT:

Yeah, a lot of sponsor engagements on the golf course that I have to attend. Yeah.

BRUCE:

But Scott McLaughlin, you've always been a real pro and I appreciate all your help with us here on Pit Pass Indy. Good luck the rest of the season. Good luck at the Milwaukee Mile. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, the fentanyl.com Grand Prix of Portland winner Will Power of Team Penske and teammate Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at x, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.

None:

Thank you.