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Record-breaking McLaughlin takes Indy 500 pole

Supercars
22 May
A 76-time pole position winner in Supercars, Scott McLaughlin has claimed pole for the Indianapolis 500
2 mins by James Pavey
Scott McLaughlin

  • Scott McLaughlin claims first Indy 500 pole

  • Former Supercars star clocks record pole speed

  • McLaughlin already a winner in IndyCar this year

Three-time Supercars champion turned IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin has claimed his maiden pole at the Indianapolis 500, with a record-breaking four-lap average pole speed.

A 76-time pole position winner in Supercars, McLaughlin beat Team Penske teammate Will Power to top spot in the final run of the Fast Six on Monday (AEST).

McLaughlin set the fastest four-lap average pole speed in the history of the race, with a sensational run at 234.220mph.

The 56-time Supercars race winner's previous best qualifying position in three previous Indy 500 starts was 14th in 2023.

Since shifting to IndyCar in 2021, McLaughlin has won five races, and finished third overall last season. He is already a winner in 2024, at the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.

“Welcome to the party,” the Kiwi said said.

“The Pennzoil Chevy was unreal. There’s so much pride in being able to do it.

"I’m working hard. Indy hasn’t been kind to me, and a lot of it was my doing. I need to work on things. This is the first step."

It was a record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 pole for Team Penske, with Chevrolet-powered drivers sweeping the top eight spots for next weekend's race.

Later, McLaughlin said he drew on his previous experience in Bathurst, where he famously shattered the lap record in the 2017 Top Ten Shootout.

"It's a completely different kettle of fish. Bathurst is one lap; this is basically four, and four good ones," he said.

“I said to myself, it felt like a shootout at Bathurst, and I said that I've done this many times before; It's just a matter of nailing it again.

"I felt like those two runs that I had today were some of the best laps I've ever driven.”

McLaughlin, 2018 Indy 500 winner Power and 2023 winner Josef Newgarden completed a Penske front row lockout for next weekend's race.

2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, who made a wildcard start in the 2019 Bathurst 1000 that McLaughlin won, qualified fourth. Rossi will be joined on Row 2 by McLaren team-mate and NASCAR star Kyle Larson, and Santino Ferrucci.

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