McLaughlin keeps IndyCar hopes alive with win
Three-time Pukekohe race winner Scott McLaughlin has added to Kiwi celebrations with a third IndyCar win of 2022.
The Team Penske driver led from pole to flag in the penultimate race of the IndyCar season at Portland.
Australian teammate Will Power extended his series lead with second place.
McLaughlin heads to this weekend’s Laguna Seca finale as an outside chance to win the title.
The Laguna Seca round falls on the same weekend as Supercars’ final round at Pukekohe Park Raceway.
There, Hamilton-born McLaughlin won three races (2013, 2018 and 2019).
McLaughlin's 2019 record of wins in a season could fall to countryman Shane van Gisbergen this weekend.
Van Gisbergen has 16 wins, and is just two shy of McLaughlin's benchmark of 18.
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McLaughlin, a three-time Supercars champion, effectively led the entirety of the 110-lap Portland race.
Power will take a 20-point lead over Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon, with Marcuss Ericsson 39 points back.
McLaughlin is 41 points behind, and is a mathematical chance to win the title.
Pole-sitter McLaughlin led the field into Turn 1, and was 3.7s clear by the time he pitted on lap 21.
Come lap 32, and McLaughlin’s lead over Power was 7.8s.
Power reeled in McLaughlin and brought the margin down to 5.7s when they both pitted on lap 48.
The leaders stopped on lap 78, and McLaughlin and Power resumed just a second apart before a caution was called.
A restart clash with Power and Pato O’Ward helped McLaughlin skip away to a third career IndyCar win.
It was McLaughlin’s seventh podium of the year, and his fifth straight finish of fourth or better.
"I think the car felt really good in that first stint but as the race went on," the 56-time Supercars race winner said.
"It got a little bit worse so I just had to concentrate on where I wanted the strengths in the car and work with those and just make the best of the weaknesses.
"But all weekend we've been fast and it's been right there where we needed it.
"We did exactly what we needed to do this weekend, that was win and get max points. It keeps us in the fight.
"We're a long shot and I don't care… We're a shot and I'm looking forward to it."
Supercars will return to New Zealand on September 9-11.
