Scott McLaughlin dominated Sunday’s (Sept. 4) Grand Prix of Portland to collect the third win of his NTT IndyCar Series career.
McLaughlin led the race from the pole and only relinquished his lead during pit cycles while teammate and championship leader Will Power spent much of the day just beyond an arm’s length of the leader’s rear wing.
“We did exactly what we needed to do this weekend, and that was win and get max points,” McLaughlin told NBC.
“Yeah, we’re a long a shot, I don’t care, but we’re a shot.”
McLaughlin’s win serves to keep his championship aspirations alive at the last moment as the Kiwi now sits 41 points behind Power heading into the final race of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. With 50 points on the table for a win – not to mention extra points for taking pole position, leading a single lap, and leading the most laps – McLaughlin maintains an outside chance at taking the title for his own in only his second season in IndyCar.
What a day for the #Thirsty3s.
RETWEET to congratulate @SMcLaughlin93 on his win at @PortlandRaceway!#INDYCAR // @Portland_GP pic.twitter.com/ncBNPgtGos
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) September 4, 2022
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon quietly clawed through the field from a shocking 16th place start to collect a third place finish behind the Penske duo, bringing himself level with Josef Newgarden for second place in the title race, 20 points behind Power.
Newgarden suffered an underwhelming day after being handed a grid penalty due to an engine change. The two-time champion dragged his car as high as fourth place late in the race, though opting to use the black walled Firestone Primary tires for his final stint left the No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet sinking like a stone toward the race’s end. Newgarden crossed the line in eighth place.
Marcus Ericsson shared his Ganassi teammate’s qualifying disappointment, lining up 18th for the race. The Swede opted to start the race on Primary tires and go off strategy relative to the rest of the field. This, however, was a strategy undermined by the lack of cautions and on track incidents through the first four fifths of the race. Ericsson could only manage an 11th place finish and will enter the final race of the season 39 points adrift of Power.
Continuing the championship drama, Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward saw a promising day end in controversy following two on track incidents in as many corners. Restarting the…
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