Scott McLaughlin says he is finally able “to call myself an IndyCar driver now” after winning his first oval race at Iowa, but believes he's “nowhere near a complete driver”.
The 31-year-old New Zealander scored his second win of the season by leading 164 laps on Saturday night, then added followed up on Sunday with a third-place finish from pole.
The Team Penske driver's run of four podiums over the last five races has elevated him to fifth in the championship standings, 65 points behind leader Alex Palou.
His mark of six podiums - matching Chip Ganassi Racing's Palou - would have been extended had it not been for the push-to-pass scandal in St. Petersburg that resulted in his disqualification from a strong third-place finish.
Reflecting on his sixth IndyCar victory, after previous successes came at St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio, Portland and Barber Motorsports Park (twice), the three-time Supercars champion who switched codes full-time in 2021 said: “I felt like an open-wheel driver, but an IndyCar driver is someone that can win on all three racetracks.
“Thankfully, very proud to say I've won on an oval now, along with a road and street course. Proud moment for me.
“It's taken a lot of hard work, work hard behind the scenes to be better. Whether it's here or with the old surface, Texas, any of the other ovals, I feel like I've been really strong, just haven't quite finished it off.
“Yeah, we were able to do that. Thankful to my team who really got me out in front with some rapid pit stops.”
However, McLaughlin won’t confess to being a complete driver.
“There's room for improvement all the time,” he said. “I'm nowhere near a complete driver.
“I just feel like I'm an IndyCar driver now, or I'm proud to say that I am. Ultimately everyone wants to win on an oval. It's exhilarating, most fun race tracks some days.
“Those two laps qualifying today, it's just up there with Indy, exhilaration terms, how fast it is, how quick it is. It's just a little bit shorter and a little bit less to start.
“It's a lot of fun. You get a lot of enjoyment from oval racing. I think it's the backbone of the sport.”
McLaughlin shared that Simon Pagenaud, who won the 2016 IndyCar title and 2019 Indianapolis 500 with Penske, has been pivotal in his growth.
The Frenchman remains sidelined by concussion symptoms following his enormous practice crash at Mid-Ohio last year.
“He's been unreal for me,” said McLaughlin, who finished third in last year’s championship. “Such a good teacher.
“It's special to work with someone like that. For him to basically give me everything, it's crazy.
“You should see the notes I get. He sends me notes every morning before I go on track.
“I don't even have time to read it sometimes, it's crazy. It's like essays, longer than your reporting stories.
“Ultimately I treasure them, I save them. I'll never give them to anyone else, 'cause they're just that good.”
