LEXINGTON, Ohio – Scott McLaughlin, the defending winner of the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio, expressed his excitement about returning to the 13-turn natural terrain road course in Lexington, Ohio. Being the defending champion gives him and his team a confidence boost. McLaughlin mentioned winning at a track as the defending champion not only boosts his confidence, but also instills confidence in his team.
Scott McLaughlin stands tall in victory lane at Mid-Ohio in 2022 (Photo: Stephen Conley|TPF)
Reflecting on his victory last year, McLaughlin highlighted the significance of racing on the 4th of July. Despite being born in New Zealand and currently living in North Carolina, he holds great respect for the holiday. “Winning on such a patriotic weekend made the victory even more special”.
The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio marked the first time they raced on the July 4th weekend, adding to the significance of the occasion. McLaughlin cherished the opportunity to win on a weekend that holds strong patriotic sentiments.
Overall, McLaughlin is proud of his previous victory and is excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as he aims to defend his title and achieve back-to-back wins at the Mid-Ohio road course.
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has a storied past and has been a prominent fixture on the Indycar calendar. Its long-standing presence and the numerous races held there over the years contribute to its historical significance. Acknowledging the track’s history and its association with the NTT Indycar Series adds an extra layer of prestige to McLaughlin’s victory. McLaughlin said, “It’s super special. I’ve been very lucky to win at places that have got a lot of history, like Saint Pete, Mid-Ohio and Portland.”
McLaughlin looks at all those that have come before him, too. “Winning here with the likes of the Andretti’s and Mears, and all the people that came before. It’s just really extra special to have that history behind it.”
But, with this old race track comes special challenges and for McLaughlin, he likes the challenges that are presented to a driver here. “It’s a special track. To win there at such a difficult track that requires a lot of risk to get the reward, it’s difficult to figure that out.”
Many drivers haven’t figured it out through their entire career. McLaughlin added, “To win here in my second year, I was really, really proud of that.”
The Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course presents plenty of challenges to drivers, with a very tight lay out, the start of the race happens on the backstretch and any restarts happen on the front stretch with two different corners to approach.
McLaughlin said, “We’re all really aggressive and we all have our own issues to sort out.”
Penske Racing driver Scott McLaughlin leading the way at Mid-Ohio in 2022
But for McLaughlin, he emphasizes the easiest way to pass–“Start up front. The race weekend really starts at qualifying for us and you can start with good track position.”
One of the other challenges that drivers face at Mid-Ohio is a 20-plus-year-old surface, McLaughlin said that no matter which tires you’re on, the car is sliding around all race long.
“It’s an enjoyable challenge. I think that was probably one of the most satisfying things for me. Be able to outqualify my teammates last year and keeping it up front.” McLaughlin said. “This track definitely suits me to the ground, that’s for sure.”
If he likes to slide around, he’ll have plenty of chances with an old track and on top of that, the forecast is calling for rain all weekend long which will put even more focus on qualifying on Saturday.
Listen to the full interview as Scott McLaughlin talks more about Mid-Ohio and if he will do another gymnastics “tumble” in victory lane, as well as his podcast with Josef Newgarden by clicking below.
