Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin on IndyCar, Golf and his family’s background in the trucking industry

Speakers: Bruce Martin & Scott McLaughlin

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcasts. 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 an insider's 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 Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Autoweek and Speed Sport.

So, let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy.

Welcome to this week's edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We are proud and honored to bring Penske Truck Rental to the show as the presenting sponsor of Pit Pass Indy. We will continue to cover the entire NTT IndyCar Series community and our new partners at Penske Truck Rental will help us tell those stories.

This week's guest is one of the star drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series. He also knows a few things about trucking. It's Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number 3 Team Penske Chevrolet. The native of Christchurch, New Zealand, begins as third full season in the NTT IndyCar Series and is one of the leading contenders for the 2023 Championship.

He was a central character in the drama that played out in the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March the 5th. McLaughlin led the most laps in the race with 37 and Romain Grosjean of Andretti Autosport was in front for 31 laps, but both drivers crashed into the turn four tire barrier in a dramatic event that helped shape the outcome of the race.

Grosjean pitted on Lap 71 for what he hoped would be the final stop of the race. One lap later, McLaughlin pitted as the leader as Grosjean came down the front straight at full speed, McLaughlin left pit lane on cold tires and the two cars intersected at pit out in a side-by-side battle.

But as the two cars raced into the turn four area, both made contact and both crashed into the tire barrier. Grosjean’s race was over, but McLaughlin would later continue in the race and finish 13th one lap down. He was issued an avoidable contact penalty by IndyCar Race Control.

McLaughlin finished 13th in the race and is 11th in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship standings. This weekend he will be one of five IndyCar drivers that competes in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring IMSA sports car race. He will be driving for Tower Motorsport.

I had a chance to spend time with McLaughlin at the Team Penske shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, where we talked about a variety of subjects, including a few things you may not know about Scott McLaughlin away from the racetrack.

Here's my exclusive interview with McLaughlin for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Joining us now, on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental is Team Penske, driver Scott McLaughlin, driver the number 3 Chevrolet.

Before we get rolling on the IndyCar season, our sponsor at Penske Logistics and Penske Truck Rental is involved in hauling freight up and down the road. That's near and dear to your heart, if you could explain to our listeners. The McLaughlins actually have a direct connection to trucking.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yes, we do. And I mean, this goes all the way back to when my dad had his first truck, but my dad's been in trucking for many years, still is a little bit. But Detroit Diesel engines and which are now, basically MTU, which is a big and near and dear at Roger's heart and business. He ran those in his trucks for many years.

And then going on to that, my mom and dad created a business called McLaughlin Freight Lines and had 70 odd trucks and sold it in 2009. But now, dad sort of just does his one or two loads a day and still a trucker by doing that. So, he enjoys that.

Bruce Martin:

How much as a youngster did you enjoy riding with your dad on some of those long hauls and those big trucks?

Scott McLaughlin:

I loved it, particularly when we used to transport the bread and the pies and the food. Because he used to get all yeah, the off scraps and stuff. That was a lot of fun. But yeah, I went on mini trips for my old man, definitely missed those days for sure.

My dad is now, actually a logger. He goes through forests and stuff now, and he can't actually take passengers. Like that's the … these days don't allow you to do that. So, yeah, it sucks I can't go on the truck with him anymore, at least when he is doing this job. But I had a lot of fun when I was a kid doing it.

Bruce Martin:

Coming from a trucking family, you understand the value of having reliability and the latest maintained vehicles and that's what you get at Penske Truck Rentals.

How valuable is that to a customer to be able to know that when they rent a car or rent a truck from Penske Truck Rentals, that they're going to have something that's dependable and reliable and it's going to carry the freight?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, it's important. I mean, they're paying for a service, they get a service. And I feel like not only in the Penske Truck Rental, but with the car dealerships and the service side of the business as well. I feel like it's first-class, bit like our race team. And there's a lot of intention to detail, Roger is across everything. I think the customers always get that first-class service that they're always asking for.

Bruce Martin:

Does it also surprise you every time you go to a race weekend, you have vendors, you have souvenirs sales, you have concessionaires, you'll see a lot of Penske Truck Rental trucks and a lot of venues such as this past weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, well, when I first came to America. I used to look around and I'd see like the truck rentals and I'd sort of point them out and go, “Oh, there's a Penske truck.” And then now, I'm so used to it that everyone uses a Penske truck even when I move house.

So, it's funny, it is part of the way life and the way I explain who I drive for. If they don't know who Roger Penske is, I'm like, “Hey, do you know those yellow trucks or the white trucks that you see rolling around? Well, I drive for him.” And they're like, “Oh, okay.” So, they're definitely like a part of the American culture I've started to gather and it's very cool.

Bruce Martin:

And with you and your wife, Carly, looking for a new home, I'm sure when you get ready to move, you'll have Penske Truck Rental help you get some of that stuff to the new house.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, exactly. This is not a plug, I literally have the right connections. And I'm a race driver, I don't like paying for anything, so I go straight to Penske Truck Rental for my help there.

Bruce Martin:

Also, between the race team at Team Penske and the Penske Corporation, you have a chance to do a lot of meet and greets and speak to a lot of sponsor gatherings and hospitality groups before races. How enjoyable is that to do on the morning of a race?

I'm sure you're probably pretty focused on later in the day, but does this help get the day started to where you're able to get your mind off a little bit of what's going to go on the track?

Scott McLaughlin:

I think especially if you look back on the St. Pete the first week in of the year, like a lot of our partners are jacked up, like they're excited, they're ready to go. So, you feel that energy as well. I mean, you're in a hospitality temp full of 300 foreign people. It's pretty awesome and they're all excited to see what goes on.

You're talking about your race and where you've qualified and what goes on. But right then it's all predictions. But it's a good way to I guess wald in your head the strategy and what the goal is. Because you're talking to Tim Cindric and he's asking you the questions and you got to say the right answer because it's Tim Cindric. And yeah, I enjoy that and it definitely gets me all jacked up for the weekend.

Bruce Martin:

Does it also make you realize that all those people are there and they're all excited to watch you and Will and Josef go out there and race? It's a big deal to these people.

Scott McLaughlin:

It's a huge deal. And whether it's me driving the DEX car, the Sonsio car, Pennzoil, a lot of the people in there are just partners of the team and I guess you feel the sense of responsibility of doing a good job and when things go good, how good it is when you have people there that are supporting you.

But also, when things go bad and how you react to that and how you conduct yourself after the race. Like there's a lot of people there that they've got a lot of big brands, big sponsorship dollars in the team that expecting you to do a good job and on and off the track.

And I definitely think you get that feeling at the hospitality team, you're like, “Wow, this is a big deal.” And it's definitely the biggest I've seen, especially for here being in America.

Bruce Martin:

And also you see how Roger Penske and Bud Denker and Jonathan Gibson and others in the Penske Corporation, how important that is to them, Greg Penske. You know that there's a lot of responsibility when you sign up to be a Team Penske driver. You're not just representing the race team, you're representing the corporation.

Scott McLaughlin:

You are. And I mean, when I first signed with Penske, you sit in a boardroom kind of like we are now, and they basically go through a PowerPoint and explain to you the ins and outs of the business.

I mean, at the time when I signed on in 2017, there was 55,000 employees and worldwide within our whole business. Well, now, there's upwards of 70,000 and the business is just getting bigger.

But a big part of being a Penske driver is understanding the business and why we go racing and why we represent the brands we do while we do business-to-business and how important it is for not only us to keep racing, but for 75,000 people to have jobs. And you have that responsibility and the race seems a big part of that, and I enjoy that.

Bruce Martin:

What's it like for you when Roger Penske comes up after a race and talks to you about the race or gives you an attaboy?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, yeah. Look, he's not scared to give you a slap on the wrist, but he's not scared to give you a pat on the back. And I've got a huge amount of respect for everything he says to me. He's seen everything and good, bad and different. And I just enjoy it.

I enjoy just rolling to the to the RP 1, our little transporter there and seeing him and catching up with him and finding out his thoughts. Like I said, sometimes you're on the good side, sometimes you're on the bad side, but at the end of the day, I feel like he'll do anything, he'll go and … us drivers are very special to him, and I think he'd do anything for us. And you definitely get that feeling.

Bruce Martin:

Does it amaze you, the man at 86 years old, that a lot of people at that age are sitting in a rocking chair on the back porch. But not Roger Penske, he's out conquering new worlds.

Scott McLaughlin:

I think the minute he stops, it's going to slow down even more for him. So, I think he knows that and he's an incredible person for what he's done in business, what he's done in motorsport. Like he's got like this presidential vibe about him.

I always say to people, “I think he could be like the president.” Like he's just such a good guy, someone that's sees both sides. But he's also, a great leader and understands that whether you are the janitor, whether you are the president of the corporation, human capital's huge for everything. And he treats everyone exactly the same.

Bruce Martin:

Well, he would certainly get my vote. I'm not so sure I should bring up politics on the podcast, but he definitely has leadership qualities and a lot of people in our government could learn some leadership qualities from Roger Penske.

Scott McLaughlin:

Look, I'm just a foreigner. I can't vote, so don't worry.

Bruce Martin:

Prior to going to St. Petersburg, a lot of people need to know that Scott McLaughlin is also, a very avid golfer. And you had a chance to play some pretty interesting rounds of golf. If you could tell our listeners some of your golfing tales.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, look, golf's a big thing for me, Bruce. It's my outlet. It's my way of getting away from the sport and enjoying life a little bit. And I had the opportunity to play in the Pro-Am. David Hovis from Team Penske organized that.

We played the Pro-Am at Arnold Palmer Invitational at Arnie's place, so at Bay Hill. Incredible place. Incredible experience to be inside the ropes and almost feel like a professional player. A lot of nerves to play a Pro-Am. And my pro was actually Zach Johnson, so Masters champ open winner. Now, the current Ryder Cup captain for USA.

So, great thing to put on my CV when I go for my U.S. citizenship in a few years because I've just played with the Rider Cup captain. But an incredible experience, something that I really enjoy and just count myself very lucky to be in that position.

Bruce Martin:

Had you not been a race driver, are you good enough at golf that you could have been a tour professional?

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, I don't know. I think everyone thinks that there's so many golfers in the world. But golf is something that, especially when I retire from racing, like I genuinely will take up a keen interest at getting very good.

I mean, I feel like with the time that I have now, like I'm a single name golfer. I feel like I could work it down pretty good, but what those guys do on the tour, I've played with a guy named Josh Williams, who's Blaney’s spotter. Incredible golfer plus two and a half.

Well, he didn't make the tour, I think he could, but he's just so good. And you see that, and then there's like a level that makes Josh look bad and that's why I have so much respect and so much admiration for golfers and I think that's why I love the sport so much.

Bruce Martin:

Are you the best golfer of the IndyCar Paddock?

Scott McLaughlin:

No doubt, no doubt. I'll call my shot right now, and if some someone wants to do it, I'll play $50 skins. What do you want to do? We'll put some money on it and have a go.

Bruce Martin:

There's your challenge right there, folks.

Scott McLaughlin:

I reckon Graham Rahal is probably my closest comp right now.

Bruce Martin:

Have you played rounds with Graham?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yes. And I feel like that's why I'm confident I'm better than him. Yeah.

Bruce Martin:

Now, from what I understand, Roger Penske was a very good golfer in his still day.

Scott McLaughlin:

Still is.

Bruce Martin:

Yes, he definitely still is. That's the great thing about golf is it's a sport or a game for all ages. You can still be out there whacking that ball in your 80s, just like somebody that's a teenager.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, for sure. I mean, my wife as well, like she plays from the ladies tees, but like her handicap like by the end of a stable food game or something like that, she's sometimes on my tail, depends how she plays. And that's what's great about the sport.

Personally, I love the sport because the sport of golf really got me my chance in motorsport. I played a game of golf with Garry Rogers, who was the guy that I drove for the very first time in Supercars.

I was 18 years old, I had no drive, I didn't know where I was going. And I played a game of golf with him and he got to know who I was and he gave me a test the next week. And then after that test, he signed me up for three-year deal.

So, if it wasn't for golf and the opportunity to spend four hours on a golf course with a CEO or a boss of a race team or whatever, it's a very unique sport in that regard. And I really, I put a lot of my relationship with my sponsors, relationships with my racing teams down to like that four hours, you just get away from your phone, you get away from the world, hit a little white ball, whether it's good or bad.

Bruce Martin:

Plus, you'd be amazed at how many auto racing deals have been cut on the golf course.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, yeah. I mean, I've cut a huge amount of deals on the golf course, but I think it's just a good way. You see a lot of different personalities on the golf course, and I think you can see if people are faking it or they're like legitimate humans, and I enjoy it.

Bruce Martin:

Is your forte the long game or on the greens?

Scott McLaughlin:

Depends. I mean, I'm not the longest hitter. I can hit — probably, my drives are probably 270, 280. But I feel like my touch around the green and my putting is really good. Which sometimes that's more of the money game than anything.

Bruce Martin:

Now, because of that, do you see that golf and IndyCar racing have a lot in common in the fact that you've got to have precision in both to be very good?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, I mean, you do. But it's also, a mental side of the sport. If you have a bad lap and IndyCar, you've got to come back and be stronger, whether it's in Q1, Q2, Q3, or during the race. Same as golf, you have a bad show, you just got to get on with it. But I definitely can see similarities with what we do, golf and motorsport.

Bruce Martin:

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

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Here is part two of my exclusive interview with Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Moving on to the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series. You got off to a very impressive start for much of the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. You led the most laps in the race with 37.

Unfortunately, on lap 72, the pit stop exchange, Romain Grosjean was the first to pit on lap 71. He's coming down the front, straight on warmed up tires. You're leaving the pits on lap 72 on cold tires, and you both intersect at pit out. And then by the time you got the turn four, you're both in the tire barrier.

I know you took that pretty hard and that you went and apologized to Romain and his team transporter after that. But if you could walk us through from your point of view, what transpired during that whole exchange.

Scott McLaughlin:

Well, firstly, I think Romain was closer to me than he should have been because I got held up on my way in. So, I lost probably about a second and half, two seconds on the way in. So, that really cost me. So, if I get a clean in lap, I'm in.

But we took that risk, we took the risk of running the overcut, we caught our lap traffic closer than we thought. And I knew that was going to be tight. But for us to even come out in front of Romain, that was a great job on my crew. The pits were unreal. Like they were the fastest in pit lane by a mile.

But I blocked Romain, he went to the outside. Initially, I had done this pass before, but I was on the green tyre. I was now, on the black tyre. I knew I was on the black tyre obviously, but I made an error. I think if I didn't lock my rears towards the end of the braking maybe I make the corner without contact.

But at the same time, I think Romain also, like he was barely going to make the corner as well with how deep he threw it in.

Like I think it's a racing incident. I'm sorry for my part in it, for sure. And that's what I probably apologize for. Probably more so and looking back on it now, I probably took more of the blame than I probably should have, but I'd rather that way because that's just how I saw it firsthand.

But you can look at it, captain hindsight as a wonderful thing. You can look at it many different ways from different angles and whatever and come to the conclusion that as whoever's at fault. But looking back on it now, I definitely think probably it was a racing incident. I think Romain got that. But I'm glad I took it on the chin and got on with it.

And it's one of those deals. I wasn't going to back out. I'm racing the win. If it was second last race of the year, I needed points. Yeah, probably would've thought about it a bit more, but I knew if I got past Grosjean there, like we would've won the race, there's no doubt, so.

Bruce Martin:

I was in your pit area when you came in and you really took it hard. Were you still thinking about that during the closing 30 laps of the race?

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, no doubt. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. That sort of incident eased you up, for sure. But I was more like yeah, it sucks that I took another driver out with me, but at the same time I was more pissed off of my team and the opportunity that we had. And it was just disappointing because I knew that we did get held up like coming in.

So, I wish I got held up a little bit more, so I wasn't even in that position. It was just like the most awkward position we could have been in. And it made us having to make that split second decision. But like I said, hindsight is a wonderful thing. It is. But for us to still finish a race, get out, and I think we're 11th of the points now, I think we're very lucky.

Bruce Martin:

So, to go up to Romain outside his team transporter, when drivers talk to other drivers after a race, after they've had an incident, it's something that needs to happen, has to happen. But how difficult is it to really have the — it's like you said, man up and go and accept it.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, I've always been big on just man to man conversation. Just like here’s how I see it. I didn't know how Romain was going to — I didn't know that he was going to give a hug or whatever. I didn't know he was going to be so gracious, to be honest. I thought he was going to be more mad than he was.

But I was just going to explain my case, apologize for my part of the incident, and just be a bigger man and move on.

And I've always been like that. My mom and dad have always taught me to be like that. It's just sort of how I've been grown up. But yeah, I don't race like that. I'm not a dirty racer, I'm an aggressive racer and I'll go for a move if I need to, but I don't deliberately take people out. I just needed to make sure that he didn't think that I took him out deliberately.

Bruce Martin:

But isn't one of the beautiful things about doing that is that you immediately feel a burden lifted off your shoulders.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, yeah. But then you got to deal with the boss. But thankfully, the boss was great with it as well. But yeah, for me, it's like that's just part of who I am. I mean, like I said, I'll go for the move. I don't care who it is, whether it's my best friend, whether it's my enemy, I'll do whatever move I need to do to win a race.

But if I stuff up or own it, and I know I stuffed up at some point whether Romain ended in the fence or not. But it's a frustrating thing because we're both in a position to win and yeah.

Bruce Martin:

It was a race that was very chaotic. Two cars went airborne, two separate crashes. When you had a chance to maybe review the race, what did you think as an IndyCar driver, did you think, “Well, we've all got to do a better job than that.”

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah. But I think it's all relative. You can't look at it and go, “Oh, the race was like off its brain.” Everyone wants action. And then when we have too much, it's unnatural. Everyone's like, “Oh, it's way too much action.” It's like, “Well, no.”

Like I just think like it's just circumstantial. Like sometimes like if that crash at the start didn't happen, we got green probably till our incident. But personally, that's why I think like our incidents goes green till it's just circumstantial.

Unfortunately, I think there's things like at the start of the race where we started the race and there's cars still coming through turn 10. So, that obviously adds to the opportunity for a stuff up later on because people coming at different pace and the grid is getting closer and closer and then eventually you have that concertina effect like we did at turn three when Felix was in the fence.

But no, personally, I watched the race. I actually really enjoyed it up until my incident. I thought it was a really good race. Still thought it was good race towards the end. Drama everywhere.

Bruce Martin:

The strange things about IndyCar critics is if there's no action, they want a great show and they complain that the race wasn't a great show. If they have too much action, they call it a bleep show.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yep.

Bruce Martin:

And that has to really probably wrinkle a lot of people in the IndyCar Paddock. It's almost like no matter what you do, there's always somebody that's going to criticize.

Scott McLaughlin:

I mean yeah, I guess you guys are critics. Media, you've got to report about something and if there's a storyline that you need to report, you'd report it. I respect everyone and what they say. Whether I agree with it is another story.

But personally, watching the race back, I thought it was a very good race. I thought it had great strategy. I thought the green tyre, the way that it degraded was very, very good. With the black tyrebeing really strong. I think we need more of that because it just opens up the race really well.

And I know when I started on black tyres, just before the start of the race, I'm like, “Wow, I could win this race today.” Just from that perspective. And it's IndyCar racing. I mean, I think you watched the previous open-wheel race in the morning and it was bleak and the race that we put on wasn’t unincredible.

So, I'm proud of being IndyCar driver. I'm proud with the product that we put on and can't wait for it to get bigger and bigger because St. Pete was huge.

Bruce Martin:

But from an event standpoint, it was huge. It was a massive people trying to walk pit lane before the race. I'm sure it was difficult for you to just get to the car through all the people.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah.

Bruce Martin:

To see that kind of vibe and feel that kind of excitement that was on the streets of St. Petersburg for the whole weekend, has to really give you a good feeling that there's a lot of people that are behind the event and the series.

Scott McLaughlin:

No, and I think IndyCar is doing a fantastic job with growing the sport and really using the momentum that we've got right now, whether it's putting ads in the markets that we're going to and markets that we're not in.

Like Friday felt like a Saturday crowd and Saturday felt like a race day crowd and Sunday was just astronomical. And yeah, like you're right. Getting through the crowd was probably the hardest thing on my weekend more than anything.

But from my understanding, walking back through the pits and stuff, everyone thought it was a great race. To have the Twitter banter left, right; good, bad and different is passion. And that's what the sports needs.

Whether you are getting ripped on or whether you are getting positive feedback, we need this. We need controversy, we need different opinions. And you only get that when people watch the race. And I thought we had a great crowd on the weekend.

Bruce Martin:

It almost makes you wish that the docuseries 100 Days to Indy was airing this week because there was a lot of content that came out of that race.

Scott McLaughlin:

They got everything. Trust me, they got everything. So, I'm very excited because I think the first episode is going to be a very good one.

Bruce Martin:

Have you gotten used yet to having some of the VICE Media crew shadowing you all over?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, I didn't even think about it when I went and saw Grosjean, but they were right there. You've definitely got to think about it more, but that's what we need. We need it to be a fly on the wall thing where drivers don't think about things. And we just say what we think and they capture good things. I think it's a great deal.

Bruce Martin:

From a championship standpoint, there were a lot of big-name contenders that had issues. 13th place finish may not be ideal, but when you look at some of the guys that are behind you, you have to feel like, “If that's the way the season starts, we can build on that and go to Texas. And maybe I can return the favor to Josef Newgarden on that last lap.”

You have to feel very good heading to Texas that you can win that race.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, no doubt. Two seconds the last two years I think we've got a good chance. I feel like I'm very strong there. I feel like I'm strong anywhere, which is really a cool thing. But I think for me, I look at Dixon, I'm 15 points behind Dixon right now. We got some good points. We led a lot of laps, so we got extra points for that.

And then you look at say Josef, Romain, Herta. Fast guys, didn't finish the race. So, I count myself lucky that I got some points. And you just can't afford to have too many of the days that we had, but I know we won't. I know we can win some races and get back pretty easily. It's very early to be talking about all that stuff right now.

Bruce Martin:

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

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Here is the final part of my exclusive interview with Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Does it surprise you that you have clicked to the big oval at Texas Motor Speedway as quickly as you have? Because second place when you were a rookie, that was your best finish.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, no, it did surprise me, but then I actually feel really comfortable on ovals. I've got a great base set up. I feel like I got a good feeling in the car and when I was growing with the car and growing with the team. I have great teammates to build off from.

It makes the job a lot easier when you know the limit of the car and you know sort of where they're at and you sort of drive to it and then you get a feel for it at that limit and you can push the barrel a little bit more. And I've got a great team, great teammates around me.

Bruce Martin:

Even though the tracks are two totally different tracks, Texas Motor Speedway and the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, does anything translate from that first oval race that helps you as a driver prepare for the month of May?

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh no, for sure. I think well, it's the closest we get to the speeds that we do at Indy. It gives you an idea of I guess just where you want a few things positioned and how you can use your tools and stuff.

But like we know, like Indy's a different beast with the wind and the boost when we turn it up and the fall laps. So, yeah, it probably gives you more of a it's nice to have some perspective what it's like at that speed again before you go into like the open test and then into the month of May.

Bruce Martin:

There seems to be a lot of discussion about the three weeks off between the first race of the season and the second race of Texas Motor Speedway. Probably a lot more goes into that than some people realize. There has to be an event to compete at, there has to be TV time to televise that event with the TV partner, NBC or even with USA Network, one of their partners at NBC.

It's not as easy as a lot of people think as to why is IndyCar not racing again until first weekend of April. But you as a driver, how much would you have liked to have been back in a race car? Maybe not this weekend, but maybe next.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, no, I would love that. Especially in IndyCar. But that's the reason why I've decided to try and do endurance races in IMSA this year. And that's why I'm doing Sebring next weekend.

But for sure, we're in Florida, would you love to go to maybe Homestead and get it a little oval in or something like that? Sure, but understanding that it's the business. So, they're doing the best they can with our schedule.

We don't want to add events, just be because we want to add events, we want to make sure they're right. I think you look at Iowa, brought that back, it's a banger. St. Pete's just getting bigger. Yeah, so, I'd love more racing, don't get me wrong, I’m a race driver, but I think we're doing the right thing for the sport right now. Sucks the break that we have, but I think that'll get better in the future.

Bruce Martin:

And also, a lot of the people who complain about the March schedule should probably take a look at the July schedule where you're racing something like five races in four weekends.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, I'm counting myself very lucky because there's a point there in the middle of the season where I think I'm going like 11 weekends in a row or I'm on my wave 11 weekends. So, I'm taking the time to relax and enjoy it right now.

Bruce Martin:

Going to take a left hand turn here real quick. Or maybe a right-hand turn would be more appropriate. But this past weekend or this past week, there were two announcements of two former Formula One World champions that are going to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series.

One is Kimi Raikkonen is going to drive the Project 91 car, which is part of Trackhouse. He's going to drive at COTA. And the other was an announcement that Jenson Button is going to drive for Rick Ware Racing in a Stewart-Haas Racing project in three races this year.

You as an international racing driver, what do you think of that and how interested are you one day to maybe climb into a Team Penske stock car?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah. Oh look, I've always been very interested in that last part. But I think it's awesome these guys are trying. The new cars are allowing like drivers like this to drive them, which is a good thing. And obviously, that's what NASCAR wanted. And more road courses, which is allowing that also.

But yeah, excited I mean we saw Kimi at Watkins Glen last year and he was really good, really strong. And then Jensen, I think he'll be strong as well. And he's been testing the Garage 56 car I think it's called. And that's going really well for them and I'm sure that's why he's doing it because that's definitely like a project for him before he goes to Le Mans.

Which is kind of weird if you think about it because he's racing for Ford and NASCAR and then going to do the Chevy thing. So, I wonder how that works out. But I've never really thought of that.

But no, I think it's going to be awesome to see. For me, like a little jealous I guess you could say. One day I just want to drive anything and for sure one day would love to have a go in a cup race. Yeah, I've got good friends like Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, we play a lot of golf together, we hang out.

They're always like pushing the barrel, like, “Come on, man, like come try it.” Like it's Jordan Taylor's racing for Chase Elliott this weekend from bad circumstances.

But I think there'll be a time when it happens hopefully. But it just needs to be the right time and I don't know when that'll be and I'll just go off what the big boss says and what Tim says. But I definitely don't doubt that one day that maybe I can have a crack. I definitely think there's a chance.

Bruce Martin:

Just out on the street from Team Penske is GoPro Motorplex, which is owned by Justin Marks who owns Trackhouse.

Scott McLaughlin:

He's a great guy.

Bruce Martin:

What is your view of … I look at Justin Marks at the age of 41 and see a little bit of Roger Penske in him. He's a guy that's not afraid to make big decisions and bold moves and he may be exactly what NASCAR and maybe even auto racing needs right now.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah, I think he's changing the game. I think he's doing a really good job with his … I think he's done like a really good job with that whole Trackhouse program from the point where he come in with it initially with the one car of Suarez and then obviously, along the lines he was targeting Ganassi's NASCAR team and then eventually, took control of that.

But he took his time with it, understood the sport, how to run a team. You got to respect that. And he's done that with GoPro. Like the GoPro Motorplex, that place prints money. It's unbelievable. But I think you got to take your hat off to the guy. He's doing things differently, but it's working out and NASCAR for sure needs it.

I mean, would I love to see him in an IndyCar like as a team owner? For sure. Like he's changing the game and I wouldn't be surprised maybe one day he enters like the Indy 500 at least, or maybe has a car. I think Trackhouse is …

I've spoken to Daniel Suarez before, he's a really good guy. Ross Chastain, he's come out of the woodwork. You knew he was fast, but they've got really diverse characters in there. Pitbull’s the team owner. I think it's just really cool and his brand is cool and that's what's going to help make motorsport cool in the future. And we need more people like him, for sure.

Bruce Martin:

He's also a partner of the big machine, Music City Grand Prix, so he understands the value of IndyCar racing and he definitely wants to have a car in the Indianapolis 500 sooner rather than later.

He says it needs to be something that maybe a program that people haven't seen before. And what he means by that is very intriguing. He wants to know that when Trackhouse is at the Indianapolis 500, that people realize that. And to be able to see that broad view, big picture, I think is very important, not only for NASCAR but for all of auto racing.

Scott McLaughlin:

Oh, it's great. I mean, if he comes in and revolutionizes some of the stuff with the 500, like that's cool in itself. I mean, we're always going to do things our way, Penske way, that's just who we are. But I definitely think people like Justin Marks and Trackhouse are pushing us to be different from how we are traditionally, whether that's our social media presence.

Like who would've thought Team Penske would have a TikTok? Like that just never was ever going to be a thing. And I think it's really cool to see. As a driver, it's really refreshing and I take my hat off to Justin. I think it's great, but I also, like have so much respect and the way that Roger's been the same for so many years and it's worked.

So, there's a special way about doing things. You don't need to completely reinvent the wheel, maybe change a few things, but I definitely think some of the old school mentalities and things that Roger still does in his team is why we have so much success still.

Bruce Martin:

Well, I always harken back to a story that Roger Penske loves to tell about when he arrived with Penske Racing at that time for the first Indianapolis 500 for the team in 1969, the other teams in gasoline alley looked at them and he said, “We were called the guys with the cruise shirts and the polished wheels.”

That elevated the professionalism of the sport, elevated the way people look at IndyCar in the Indianapolis 500. And in a lot of ways, I think that's sort of what we're seeing with Justin Marks and Trackhouse.

Scott McLaughlin:

Yep. No, and look, another example is that was when Roger went to Supercars. Even though it was in 2015, the amount of people that are wearing black pants and tucked in shirts now in the Supercars paddock is 90% more than there was before. And I think that's raised the sport as well.

And you need people like that. And I think Justin's going to be that guy in the future. I think he's going to change the sport. It's going to bring the sport to that demographic that everyone's chasing, that 18 to 30-year-old sort of bracket that everyone's trying to get their hands on.

Because that's the next generation and we need new generation people to keep the sport growing and keep manufacturers interested and whatnot. But yeah, I think there's ways of Roger doing something and Justin doing something that's just an old school and a new school way. But if you merge the two together, I think that can be very powerful.

Bruce Martin:

And one last question about GoPro Motorplex. You as a racing driver, I know Will Power is out there all the time. How often do you get a chance to go out there and run the kart? How does it keep you sharp?

Scott McLaughlin:

Yeah. Look, I actually just sold my go-kart cause I didn't drive it enough. I'm probably on the golf course too much. But there's a balance. I mean, you just got to look at how Will rolled over last year and brokers ribs.

So, like I think there's a risk factor there in doing it because you go out and you're racing around with 16-year-olds that if they pass Will Power, they're going to get a contract from Roger Penske, but it's just not going to happen. But sometimes that's their mentality. So, you got to be careful about that.

But I certainly believe go-karting, it's a great sport. It's a great sport for teaching young kids the ins and outs of racing and somewhere where obviously, I grew my skin, but it's the most purest form. It's a great sport and really, I do enjoy it.

So, I eventually will get a go-kart again, just right now, it's a busy period of my life. And also, need some money to buy a house. I'm working on that right now.

Bruce Martin:

Well, we're going to let Scott McLaughlin go so that he can continue house hunting, but keep an eye on this guy. He's going to be a championship contender for the whole season. He may even be the champion by the end of the year.

Scott McLaughlin:

Let's hope.

Bruce Martin:

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, good luck the rest of the year and thank you for joining us today, on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Scott McLaughlin:

Thank you, Bruce. Appreciate it.

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guest, Team Penske driver, Scott McLaughlin, 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 for all things IndyCar. And because of our guest and listeners, Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, is proud to be the winner of The Best Podcast by the National Motorsports Press Association.

For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at Twitter @BruceMartin (one-word, uppercase B, uppercase M) _500.

This has been a production of Evergreen Podcasts. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Brigid 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.

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