Team Penske has announced double Australian Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin will compete in the GMR IndyCar Grand Prix on May 9.
McLaughlin recently tested with Penske at Sebring – albeit on a shorter layout – completing almost 150 laps during the course of the day, with support from the full-time Penske drivers including Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and now double IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden.
The Kiwi will be driving the No.2 for the event and during pre-season ‘Spring Training’ at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on February 11-12.
“This is an amazing opportunity – to race against some of the best open-wheel drivers in the world on one of the most historic tracks in motorsports,” said McLaughlin.
“It’s a driver’s dream to get a chance to race an Indy car for Team Penske. With the experience I gained at the test in Sebring, I know a little bit more about what to expect when I get back into the car at COTA.
“I just want to learn as much as I can every time I’m in the car so I can make the most of the opportunity to race with the team at the Grand Prix in Indianapolis.”
During his time at Penske’s Supercars team, McLaughlin has taken 35 victories and 44 pole positions over the last three seasons alongside the team championships in 2017 and 2019 and winning the Drivers’ title for the last two years.
McLaughlin also established a new single-season Supercars record with 18 victories, along with a series-leading 15 poles and 22 podium finishes.
“Scott has experienced tremendous success in Supercars over the last three seasons with DJR Team Penske and we believe his talent and his drive will continue to shine behind the wheel of an Indy car,” added Team Owner, Roger Penske.
“It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop as we work up to his first race at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. We know Scott will work hard to improve with every lap and he will represent Team Penske well as he gets acclimated to the IndyCar Series.”
