Scott McLaughlin Takes Mid-Ohio IndyCar Win

Throughout Scott McLaughlin's rookie year, he looked like a driver adapting to a top-level open wheeler for the first time ever at a relatively old 28. Best finishes of second and fourth, both on intermediate ovals, highlighted what was otherwise a disappointing year where one of Australia's greatest-ever domestic talents could not finish better than eighth on a road course or street circuit. That rookie season left expectations muted for this year, which made his win at St. Petersburg and second at Texas to open the year all the more surprising. He's proven himself to be a weekly contender since.

McLaughlin started this weekend with a strong run to second in qualifying, sandwiching him between young stars Pato O'Ward and Colton Herta. He had nothing for O'Ward on the start, but the Arrow McLaren SP ace had an issue with more than one of his fuel maps during the first stint that cost him pace and stopped before McLaughlin pitted under well-timed caution. That dropped O'Ward to fourth and handed McLaughlin the lead. On the second and final cycle of stops, second-place Herta failed to stop with the rest of the field before a caution and fourth-place O'Ward slowed in the pit lane shortly after his stop.

That left McLaughlin fighting Alex Palou in the closing laps, a position he held despite constant pressure. McLaughlin would go on to grab his second career IndyCar win, beating out Palou in a relatively quiet race. Behind those two, the race was far more chaotic.