McLaughlin, Simpson latest grid penalty victims at Portland

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin saw his day go from bad to worse on Saturday as an uncharacteristically poor qualifying run to 14th for the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland was compounded by the need to replace the engine in his No. 3 Chevy.

The unapproved engine change will give the New Zealander a fresh 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 powerplant to use for the remainder of the season, but that switch will also come with a six-position penalty, by regulation, and move the No. 3 back to 20th in the grid. Holding a distant fifth in the Drivers’ championship with four races left to go, the Kiwi will need to go on a passing spree on Sunday to minimize the damage in the standings.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson also received a six-spot penalty with his No. 4 Honda; having qualified 25th in the 28-car field, the Cayman Island native will be moved to the back of the field.