Following a tame practice session on Friday, things got wild today for the NTT IndyCar Series on the streets of St Petersburg. The morning practice was filled with carnage as drivers got tangled and cars were badly damaged. Hours later, a surprise emerged in qualifying as Scott McLaughlin earned his first career pole in the series.
McLaughlin, who has only qualified inside the top ten twice in his career, put his No. 3 Chevrolet on pole in impressive fashion. The 28-year old outdueled his teammate Will Power, who has earned nine career poles at St Petersburg over the course of his career. Though it is just his second full-time season, this will be the third race for McLaughlin on this circuit, and he has clearly gotten a firm grasp on this track.
McLaughlin took the top spot with a lap of 59.4821 seconds Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 3 machine has loved working with engineer Ben Bretzman. “I love qualifying, and you’ve got to put it all on the line,” McLaughlin said. “I’m working really well with Ben. The DEX Imaging Chevy, the car is just phenomenal. I’m super proud of everyone. I just feel confident, and now I’m so happy.”
“I’m a competitive bloke, so I hate starting at the back,” McLaughlin proclaimed. “At the end of the day, it’s a new thing for me, starting from the front and leading a group into the first corner. I’m used to braking with people in front of me, so I’m going to have to make sure I don’t overshoot it like an idiot. I can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be big.”
Team Penske owns the front row, which will be key at the start of tomorrow’s race. The first turn has always been chaotic and this year will likely be no different. McLaughlin and Power will have a plan going into Turn 1 but both drivers are going to be hungry for a win. McLaughlin is still searching for his first career victory while Power had just one win last season.
Qualifying began with a busy first group that saw…
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