. — Scott McLaughlin drove to his first IndyCar victory and tumbled off his winning car during the celebration.
Out of breath under a clear sky, he sat on the car to collect himself. Then he jumped again, this time because the heat from his exhaust was burning his behind through his firesuit.
After that, he sat on the ground to video call his parents in New Zealand, where they listened to the race on the IndyCar app. The pandemic has kept McLaughlin from his family for two years, and they’ve yet to see him race in his new home and new series.
He at last called for a cold beer, but when McLaughlin noticed Australian fans in victory lane, he amped up the party. He took off his racing boot and dumped the beer inside for a “Shoey” — Aussie style. The move ruined his favorite racing shoes.
It was quite the day for McLaughlin, who at last validated his decision to leave Australia after three consecutive V8 Supercars championships to join IndyCar. The 28-year-old had a difficult first year but broke through Sunday for his first IndyCar victory in the season-opening race through the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.
“I knew I’m a rookie and I wasn’t kidding myself, but at the same time it’s hard to go from the mindset of, ‘OK, win every week and that’s all that matters, nothing less,’ to going, ‘Hey, I’d love a top-15,'” McLaughlin said. “I don’t work like that. I’m a competitive bloke. I want to win. I want to get poles. I want to dominate races and not even worry about things. I did that for four years, and then coming here … it just mucks with your head, and you’ve got to be realistic about things.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself, like, ‘Why isn’t this happening? Why am I sucking in qualifying when I’m good?’ I’ve done that before, I’ve proved that. It’s a mind game, man, and you’ve got to be on top of it. You’ve got to just believe in yourself.”
Now the New Zealander will have to see how far his first victory takes him: The winner of IndyCar’s season opener has gone on to claim the championship the last three years.
“Oh, mate, I don’t know. Let’s keep it low-key,” McLaughlin said about his title chances. “Let’s be the underdog for a little while longer.”