McLaughlin ends 35-race INDYCAR winless run at Laguna Seca
The Team Penske driver led 87 of 95 laps in the season finale, while Alex Palou secured his fifth series title and Scott Dixon closed his 25-year Chip Ganassi Racing career.
Scott McLaughlin ended a 35-race winless run by dominating the INDYCAR season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, leading 87 of the 95 laps.
The Team Penske driver said the victory was his first since the birth of his daughter, Lucy, 23 months earlier. He credited improved car pace and a new engineering and strategy partnership for the result.
Alex Palou finished eighth after his team used soft tyres for his first two stints, a decision he described as a mistake. The result did not affect the championship outcome: Palou retained the title by 86 points over Kyle Kirkwood, securing his fifth series championship and fourth in succession after winning six of the 18 races.
McLaughlin finished sixth in the season standings, behind Penske teammate David Malukas in fifth and ahead of teammate Josef Newgarden in eighth.
The race also marked Scott Dixon’s final appearance for Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years with the team. Dixon finished 17th and ended the season 12th in the standings after winning six titles with Ganassi. His move to Arrow McLaren is scheduled for 2027.
