McLaughlin drained after giving it his all at Indy

Everything was looking rosy for Scott McLaughlin as he led the field into Turn 1 from pole position at the Indianapolis 500. The New Zealander flew high in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevy as he led a race-topping 64 laps, but McLaughlin’s day was a bit like a balloon with a slow leak.

The longer the race went, the lower McLaughlin went as the Indy 500’s most rewarding – or problematic – dynamic played out with the timing of cautions and how they affected pit strategies, and the Kiwi found himself on the wrong end of the equation.

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All of those 64 laps spent at the front of the field were produced in the first 125 laps; he’d fall as far back as 11th before recovering to take a rather unrewarding sixth as teammate Josef Newgarden went on to win a thriller in the No. 2 Chevy.

“I just gave it my all, all month,” McLaughlin said. “It’s just emotionally draining. Unfortunately, that’s my best run and I’m upset about it obviously. You’re a competitor. But Team Penske won and that’s the main thing.

“Congrats to Josef. This place just kicks your butt and you’ve got to come back stronger next year.”