First Valley, then dream in IndyCars
SUPERCARS champion Scott McLaughlin has vowed to keep fighting for his IndyCar dream derailed by the coronavirus pandemic this year, ahead of the Triple Crown at Darwin’s Hidden Valley next weekend.
But opening up on his racing future, the DJR Team Penske star said he was still “scheduled absolutely” to continue as a Supercars racer in 2021. Speculation was rife at the start of the year that this season would be McLaughlin’s last in Supercars before a fulltime move to race in the US.
After successful pre-season testing with Team Penske in the US, McLaughlin was due to make his IndyCar race debut at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
McLaughlin said it stung watching the postponed IndyCar Grand Prix he was meant to race in last month, but isn’t giving up on his US dream.
Travel restrictions and enforced quarantine periods have all quashed any chance of McLaughlin competing in America this year.
“It did sting a little bit watching the Indy race that I was meant to be in a couple of weeks ago,” McLaughlin said.
“But hopefully if I do keep doing the right things over here another opportunity will arise. I think in regards to potentially doing the (race) program that I was meant to do this year, Team Penske and Roger (Penske) will give me every opportunity they can (next year).”