No. 3 PPG Dallara/Chevrolet – Scott McLaughlin
Start: 5th
Finish: 8th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 85/85
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 8th (-53 pts)
Adding a third straight top-10 finish to his NTT INDYCAR SERIES resume, Scott McLaughlin scored an eighth-place finish in his first GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in the No. 3 PPG Chevrolet.
Coming off an impressive qualifying effort for the New Zealand native and series rookie, McLaughlin started the 85-lap event from the fifth position and kept that position until the first pit stop of the day at lap 14 for fuel and the red Firestone tires.
Battling hard in the top 10 throughout the middle of the race, McLaughlin developed a loose condition in the rear of his Dallara Chevrolet by lap 32. Precision driving and awareness of the car kept McLaughlin competitive through his lap-38 pit stop.
McLaughlin and the No. 3 PPG team continued in the top 10 through the later stages of the virtually caution-free event. A final stop on lap 62 provided the softer compound tires for the last stint of the 85-lap event and McLaughlin would go on to finish his inaugural GMR Grand Prix in eighth place.
Remaining in eighth place in the INDYCAR SERES point standings with back-to-back-to-back top-10 finishes gives the No. 3 team confidence as they head into the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 in two weeks.
Quote: “Not a bad day for the No. 3 PPG Chevy. We were probably a top-six car, but we got caught behind some lapped cars, and lost a bit of position on pit sequence at the end. An eighth-place effort is still a very solid result for us in the end. We wanted to be in the top eight in the standings heading into the Indy 500 and that’s where we are. Hopefully we can have a big leadup to the biggest race of my life. I’m really proud of everyone because we’ve completed every lap so far this year. To have three top-10s in a row is a pretty cool thing.”
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
