McLaughlin Clinches Fifth Win at Barber Race

Scott McLaughlin secures his fifth career victory in a challenging race at Barber Motorsports Park, displaying strategic mastery and skill.

McLaughlin (Penske) clinched his fifth IndyCar victory this Sunday, prevailing at Barber Motorsports Park. The New Zealander triumphed after a particularly tumultuous race for the field.

Like last year, McLaughlin employed a three-stop strategy to win, despite a final caution in the closing laps. The Penske driver finished ahead of his teammate Will Power and rookie Linus Lundqvist from Chip Ganassi Racing.

Starting from pole position, McLaughlin led the first third of the race until his first pit stop. A caution on lap 44, just before mid-race, could have changed everything. Alexander Rossi (McLaren), having lost a wheel on exiting the pits, forced race officials to deploy the safety car.

For McLaughlin, as well as Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) and Will Power, this meant an additional pit stop—a definite setback against drivers aiming for just two stops, including Alex Palou (Ganassi), who then led the race.

However, another caution on lap 55 once again turned the race on its head! The two-stop drivers had to pit again, starting a final XXL stint. A full tank allowed for about 30 laps, while there were 32 laps left at the restart…

Scott McLaughlin was thus able to push hard, building a sufficient lead before making his third stop. Despite a spin from Christian Rasmussen five laps from the end, the New Zealander maintained the lead, ahead of Power.

Third place went to Linus Lundqvist, marking his best IndyCar result in his sixth race. The Swede benefited from the yellow flag caused by Sting Ray Robb (Foyt) on lap 55. Staying out like Santino Ferrucci (Foyt), Lundqvist pitted on lap 71 and then climbed through the field, eventually passing his teammate Alex Palou for the podium spot. Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank), another Swede in the field, slotted between the two teammates before the finish.

Romain Grosjean & Théo Pourchaire

For the French drivers, this Barber Motorsports Park event will certainly not be one to remember! Romain Grosjean had to settle for 12th place after switching to a two-stop strategy. The Juncos Hollinger driver was involved in several contacts, notably with his former teammate Kyle Kirkwood.

Théo Pourchaire was on track for a top 20 finish in his McLaren. However, the reigning F2 champion was hit by his teammate Pato O’Ward on the final lap. He thus ended up in 23rd place. His teammate finished just ahead of him, after a forgettable race. St. Petersburg winner O’Ward was penalized with a drive-through early in the race following a contact deemed avoidable with Pietro Fittipaldi (Rahal Letterman Lanigan), who then hit the tire barrier and was forced to retire.

McLaughlin Clinches Fifth Win at Barber Race. McLaughlin Clinches Fifth Win at Barber Race

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