IndyCar Texas
Gutted McLaughlin says losing IndyCar win at last corner “will hurt”
IndyCar Series points leader Scott McLaughlin says he’s “gutted” but “will learn from this” after he lost Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway in the final few yards.
Charles Bradley
Edited: Mar 21, 2022, 9:34 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
McLaughlin led 186 of the event’s 248 laps when he came up on lapped traffic, with Team Penske-Chevrolet teammate Josef Newgarden on his tail.
McLaughlin couldn’t clear rookie David Malukas’s 11th-placed car entering Turn 3, which allowed Newgarden to get the run on him through the final two corners. Newgarden used that momentum and the outside line to power past McLaughlin by just 0.0669s.
“Second is a great day, unfortunately we led a lot of laps and at the end of the day we lost it,” McLaughlin told NBC after the race. “But if you’re going to lose it to anyone, your teammate’s the guy you want to lose it to, so credit to Josef and the PPG team.
“Gutted we couldn’t get it done for XPEL and Chevy, but at the end of the day we were there and I learned a lot in this race. That bodes pretty well going to the [Indianapolis Motor] Speedway. I’m gutted, it’ll hurt. It is how it is. But I’m pretty proud of how we run.”
Read Also:
Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Former Supercars star McLaughlin, who won the season opener on the streets of St Petersburg last month, produced another stellar drive – but felt that his Penske car was tightening up in the closing stages on old tires, just when he needed more maneuverability to enable him to lap cars ahead.
“It was always going to play some sort of a part, it’s just oval racing,” he said of the traffic that cost him the win. “My car wasn’t probably as good in traffic as it had been all race. I knew the car was going to push, it was building tightness.
“As soon as [Newgarden] got his wing alongside on the outside I knew I couldn’t come up and block the line. I thought about going high with Malukas going in there, but I was worried that I’d push up into the gray and into the fence. You’re dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t – I’ll learn from this and grow from this and just get on with it. But we put on a rally good race.”
When asked if he would have blocked Newgarden if he wasn’t his teammate, McLaughlin replied: “I don’t know, for sure next time I’d probably think about it. Things happen in a split second, I’m a human and I’ve got to learn it. That was the first opportunity for me leading on an oval with a guy on my backside, I’m a clean driver, and I just didn’t do it today. That’s just how it is.
“Really proud of the guys in the pits today and I’m excited for what’s next.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Texas IndyCar: Newgarden steals win from McLaughlin by 0.0669sec
Next article Teammates hail “great asset” Johnson for sixth on oval debut
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Charles Bradley
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
Latest news
Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for F1 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
4 min
Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for F1 2027
Cadillac signs Ricky Taylor, Antonio Felix da Costa in refreshed 2027 WEC line-up
WEC
WEC WEC
Barcelona
48 min
Cadillac signs Ricky Taylor, Antonio Felix da Costa in refreshed 2027 WEC line-up
Christian Horner takes cheeky swipe at Guenther Steiner: 'He never achieved an F1 podium'
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
1 h
Christian Horner takes cheeky swipe at Guenther Steiner: 'He never achieved an F1 podium'
Feature
Discover prime content
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
Feature
IndyCar
Feature
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe