Paddock Buzz: Scott McLaughlin Eager to Erase 2025 Error

Scott McLaughlin returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday for Opening Day of practice ahead of the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24, carrying the memory of one of the most painful moments of his career.

McLaughlin started last year’s Indianapolis 500 from 10th but never saw the green flag after crashing on the pace lap. While warming his tires on the front straightaway, his No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet snapped toward the inside wall, ending his day before it began.

“That was a pretty hard (moment),” McLaughlin said. “I wouldn’t wish that misery on my worst enemy. It was definitely the worst thing ever. But at the same time, I feel like I really grew from it.”

McLaughlin (photo, top) admitted the crash left him embarrassed -- not only for himself, but for his team, family and friends who came to watch. But the support he received afterward helped him move forward.

The New Zealand native chose to endure the pain and spend Race Day watching from the sidelines. He used the experience to study the moves other drivers made and learn when to deploy tools like the hybrid system, which debuted in the series in July 2024 and made its Indianapolis 500 debut last year.

“I felt like I wasted a really good opportunity,” he said. “But all those people had my back, and we start fresh this year. I’ve got an opportunity this month to create a storyline. Last year was Alex’s (Palou) time, and hopefully it’s mine this year.”

The adversity has only strengthened McLaughlin’s confidence entering his sixth Indianapolis 500. He earned the pole and finished a career-best sixth in 2024.

McLaughlin was the eighth fastest among 33 drivers on Opening Day today with speed of 224.401 mph.

“I’ve got pretty much the same car as last year, and I feel like it’s just as fast,” McLaughlin said. “There’s definitely motivation within the team to get back out there and show what we can do. Confidence is high.”

Mostly Single-Car Runs Tuesday

Opening Day featured sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s, conditions that more closely resembled the forecast for PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying weekend than the remainder of this week’s practice schedule.

Current forecasts call for temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s Saturday and Sunday, with a chance of rain both days. Wind direction also played a significant role Tuesday, blowing from the south and southwest. Saturday’s forecast calls for winds from the west, while Sunday is expected to mirror Tuesday with south/southwest winds.

Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be cooler, with temperatures in the 60s, before rising into the low 70s for Fast Friday. Friday also is forecasted to feature southerly winds.

Even without the added turbo boost levels used Fast Friday, teams gathered useful simulation data Tuesday to better understand how their cars may behave later in the week and during qualifying.

The Andretti Global drivers mentioned during the Open Test their game plan was qualifying simulations during the test and practice week.

Kyle Kirkwood turned the quickest non-tow speed at 222.062 in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda. His teammates Will Power (No. 26 TWG AI Honda) and Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Phoenix Investors Honda) were second and fourth, respectively.

Kirkwood was fastest on opening day of last year’s non-tow speed list at 219.497.

“We put a little bit of emphasis on how we want the car to feel,” Kirkwood said.

Armstrong More Calm Entering Third Indy 500

Marcus Armstrong enters his third Indianapolis 500 and second with Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, feeling more at ease than in previous years.

Armstrong’s 2024 Indy 500 debut ended in disappointment when he was collected in a first-lap crash in Turn 1 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Last year included a practice crash on qualifying morning, prompting him to just make a four-lap run and participate in the Last Row Shootout. Armstrong initially qualified 32nd but moved to 30th on the grid after INDYCAR penalized Team Penske entries driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power for modified attenuators discovered before their Fast 12 qualifying attempts.

Armstrong (photo, above) finished 18th in the race.

The New Zealand native returns to Indianapolis driving the No. 66 Acura Honda and enters the race 10th in points with five top-11 finishes through six races this season.

“I feel a lot more relaxed this year,” Armstrong said. “I think we’re in a good spot because it’s such a long month that you can overanalyze things. But because I have sort of a decent baseline of experience, I’m not too stressed about what I cannot control.

“I’m going to have fun with it, too. It’s two weeks of fun around a speedway. So, what’s not to love?”

Ferrucci, Schumacher Quickly Move On After Contact

Mick Schumacher and Santino Ferrucci wasted little time putting Saturday’s on-track incident in the Sonsio Grand Prix behind them.

Schumacher made late contact with Ferrucci while battling for 11th place on Lap 81 of the 85-lap race, triggering a drive-through penalty that dropped Schumacher to 20th in the finishing order in the No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda. Ferrucci finished 14th in the Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of AJ Foyt Racing.

By Monday, the two were golfing together at Brickyard Crossing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway course featuring four holes inside the track’s infield.

“We wanted to go play golf anyways, already before the weekend,” Schumacher said when asked if the outing had been planned before Saturday’s incident. “So, we just kind of pulled through on that.”

Schumacher said it marked his second time playing the IMS course after visiting last October during his maiden INDYCAR SERIES test with RLL.

“This time we did all 18,” Schumacher said. “It’s pretty nice.”

As for the scorecard? Schumacher said the two finished tied.

Arrow McLaren Reveals ‘Unfinished Business’ Indy 500 Liveries

Arrow McLaren unveiled its Indianapolis 500 liveries ahead of Tuesday’s opening practice session, introducing an “Unfinished Business” campaign tied to the team’s pursuit of its first Indy 500 victory since Johnny Rutherford’s win for McLaren in 1976.

The Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 31 Chevrolet entries feature white-and-papaya liveries accented with partner-specific colors for Arrow Electronics, NTT DATA, VELO and PrizePicks.

The No. 5 car driven by Pato O’Ward (photo, above) carries black accents for Arrow Electronics, Nolan Siegel’s No. 6 uses blue for NTT DATA, Christian Lundgaard’s No. 7 incorporates papaya for VELO, and Ryan Hunter-Reay’s No. 31 features purple for PrizePicks.

Arrow McLaren also attempts to complete the rare Month of May sweep after Lundgaard won the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 9, earning his second career victory.

Team Penske has achieved the feat three times: in 2015 with Will Power winning the Sonsio Grand Prix and Juan Pablo Montoya winning the Indy 500 and again in 2018 and 2019 when Power and Simon Pagenaud swept both races, respectively. Chip Ganassi Racing accomplished the sweep last year with Alex Palou.

Palou Eligible for BorgWarner Rolling Jackpot

Palou (photo, above) has a chance to claim BorgWarner’s $40,000 Rolling Jackpot if he wins next Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Created in 1995, the jackpot rewards drivers who win the Indy 500 in consecutive seasons and increases by $20,000 each year until claimed.

The prize has been collected only twice – by Helio Castroneves in 2002 for $160,000 and Josef Newgarden in 2024 for $440,000.

Only six drivers in Indy 500 history have won the race in consecutive years: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71), Castroneves and Newgarden.

Palou enters this year’s race leading the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings with three wins through six races. He was fastest Tuesday at 225.937.

Odds and Ends

• The eventual Indy 500 winner has ranked inside the top 10 on Opening Day’s speed chart in three of the last four years. Ericsson was second fastest in 2022, Newgarden ranked ninth in 2023 and 28th in 2024, while Palou was third-fastest last year.

• The Speedway Redevelopment Commission, in partnership with the Town of Speedway, announced completion of the newly enhanced roundabout at 16th Street and Main Street, dedicated as the Al Unser Sr. Roundabout. The $2.1 million project was partially funded through a bequest from the Al Unser Sr. Trust. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET May 19 along the walking path outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Administration Building overlooking the new gateway feature. Unser won the Indianapolis 500 four times -- 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. He’s tied with A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves for most Indy 500 wins in history.

• NASCAR Cup Series driver Cole Custer visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday as a guest of Felix Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian. Custer and Rosenqvist share Texas A&M sponsorship ties, and Custer said he was blown away by the speed of the INDYCAR SERIES cars and how drivers sit inside the cockpit.

• Callum Ilott, who does not have an Indy 500 ride this season, spent Tuesday helping INDYCAR’s social media team create content. Ilott (photo, above, right) roamed the media bullpen wearing a mullet wig and sunglasses while interviewing drivers. His best Indianapolis 500 finish came in 2024 with Arrow McLaren when he started 15th and finished 11th.

• Katherine Legge said the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet she used during last month’s Open Test for HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing was Ferrucci’s backup road-and-street course chassis. She is now running a dedicated speedway car for the 2.5-mile oval. Legge said the team’s focus this week is improving the balance of her race setup before running in traffic. With no bumping this year, the team does not plan to prioritize qualifying simulations.