NTT INDYCAR SERIES: SNAP-ON MILWAUKEE MILE 250

August 30, 2026

Christian Lundgaard

Scott McLaughlin

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Scott McLaughlin.

Scott, congratulations. Kind of a crazy race. You were up front a little bit. Did you learn anything today that might apply for the second race today?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, learnt enough to make a little few changes. We made a lot of changes overnight. I was wrecking loose to start. Nearly spun at turn three. First lap is going to be a hell of an on-board. Look forward to watching that. Outside of that, the car was a lot better as the race went on, which is good, which bodes well for race one tonight.

Yeah, just a bit frustrated. I think Pato as well, with lap traffic. Yeah, guys three laps down or something like that, racing to the death. I think at the same time what goes around comes around. We got plenty of memories. Going to be fun next time I get a lap down.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions.

Q. Hell of an on-board.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Did you see it? It was massive.

Q. The strategy call to stay out on that one caution sequence, really looked like that made your race.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, for sure. Right on the edge in terms of tire life. We chose track position and hoped I could hold those guys off as long as I could with the clear air.

Once I got hold of some dirty air, that's when the guys with the fresh tires were slightly better. I thought we held on really well. Our car came into its own in that stint. Excited to see what we have at the next run.

Yeah, at the start of the race, though, I was battling pretty hard. Finally got it sorted, the yellow came out. We chose to stay out.

Q. The dirty air, seems like it's tougher to pass lap cars.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: They're air blocking. Mirror driving. I get when you're a lap down, trying to stay on the lead lap in front of the leader. Once you're four seconds back of the lead, no chance of you getting on the lap, you are a lap down, I don't know why you're fighting so hard.

If I was leading, it's going to be worse out for the leader, but that's the rules. I just think a little bit of etiquette there, yep. Speak to whoever I need to.

THE MODERATOR: Christian Lundgaard also joins us here.

Feel good about this and ready for another one or what?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, I felt pretty good yesterday. I knew race two was going to be just fine. I think we probably have one of the fastest cars out there. We put it to use today, which was nice.

Just to echo what Scott said a second ago, the traffic is miserable out there. I don't know if it's the wind direction compared to last year that makes it so tough. Obviously we saw the outside in three and four last year work excellent. This year it doesn't really seem to work as well.

Yeah, you're just trying to find clean air out there.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Adding to that, I think everyone's better. I wouldn't say it's a package thing or anything like that. It's just definitely you can make some hay if you need to. But once you get to a point, you're pretty toast.

Q. Scott, looked like in the closing laps Tim Cindric was trying to get hold of your box to let you by Rossi. Any thoughts on that?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I said what I said. It is what it is. Like, I get their situation. Pato makes a mistake, they get their lap back or something like that. At the same time, I don't know, it's one of those you got to wave the white flag I guess.

Q. One eye on the championship, but going for wins, very important, especially with your last win being here at Milwaukee two years ago.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I don't care. Like I don't. I just want to win. Don't care. Just want to drive hard.

Q. Christian, others have said in the past that ovals aren't your strong suit. You've proved everyone wrong on that. How important is that to show that here?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I mean, I don't necessarily see it more important than any other race weekend. We're fighting for the top in the championship. It's obviously a stretch to Alex. I don't even know if we can reach him now.

But obviously Kirkwood is what we're aiming at. We got some points on him today. Just got to do the same this afternoon.

We know we're strong in Laguna, on the road courses. I think we have a chance there. Obviously it's nice to get it done.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Pretty decent oval driver.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Thanks. Likewise (smiling).

Q. Christian, throughout the year all three of you have been upset with the oval car at times. What's been the difference this weekend?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It's been faster. I mean, we finished first and third, so I think we haven't really done that much this year.

Q. What did you see or what happened on those pit stops that maybe had you behind?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, I don't really know. I haven't really spoken to anyone yet. Obviously from my perspective, the car was in the air longer than it needed to be. Obviously we lost some time there. I don't really know where Power went or what happened to him. I got a little confused when they told me I was third.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: He sped.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, obviously not great. We got another half race this afternoon to figure that out.

Q. Scott, you talked about the lap car situation. Will said it needs to be a handshake agreement. Do you think there needs to be an actual rule or just understood?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, I don't know. I get the fighting, like, a lap down on the oval. That's part of it. That's INDYCAR history.

I get more frustrated when you're five or six seconds back of the leader, I'm trying to chase down Pato. Yeah, you just got to get out of the way. At that point you're done. Not going to get the lap back.

It's tough being the leader, but that's part and parcel of racing in INDYCAR with the lap traffic. It's just more I feel like the more gentleman agreement is when you're toasted, you just get out of the way, especially when you're three laps down. That one was crazy.

Q. Do you treat this a little bit like an endurance race? You ran your stint, now three hours before you do a second stint.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, you could say that. Go have a sleep in the bus or something. But I doubt it. I can never sleep during the daytime.

I will go have a nice cold sort shower, semi sort of ice bath. Couldn't drink Champagne or I'll have Champagne later on.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I would assume he's going to play PlayStation like he did yesterday.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Probably have to be a dad at some point.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Okay. I got a few years (smiling).

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: You're on your way, though.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I've never really done an endurance race. I don't know. Take it as it comes, I guess.

Q. How has INDYCAR handled having a race in the middle of a suspended race, you could do pretty much whatever you want to the cars, change engines before this resumption of the next race coming up?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: My big worry is if the second half of race one doesn't happen today, the guys that had engine penalties yesterday, what happens to them, right? At the end of the day if round 16, if that suddenly doesn't count, when are they going to take their actual engine penalty?

I do think we'll get it in, if it's just a halfway or the full race distance. It feels weird. I've never done a race two before race one was completed. I don't think any of us here have.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I did it in Supercars actually.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: You did?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Uh-huh.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: That explains why he's on the podium.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think it's a new situation. I mean, like, what can you do? I like how they've impounded the tires and the fuel. I think that was a strategy that we played before like that happened. Sort of neutralizes that.

Now we have to make some hay on those tires. Everyone has had a chance to change their cars. At the same time those people that have that strategy gain, whatever we think, have done that, too. You just got to trust that you made the decision that you made the car better. I think it's the same for everyone. Just get on with it.

It's a tough situation when you have an oval that doesn't have lights. Part and parcel of a doubleheader. What can you do? I think they've done as good as they can.

Q. Christian, you mentioned the car is fast. I think it's a car that you could drive confidently. You made a lot of confident moves. Talk about the importance of having that on an oval.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, I think we all know the deg races specifically you really got to struggle less than anybody else. I think we see our car come to life much more kind of mid end stint than most other teams and other cars.

I wouldn't really say we were anywhere up till qualifying. Even then we were just mid pack. The cars come alive in the race. I think we're good at taking cares of the tires and making the car better for the second half of the stint.

Yeah, I'm surprised that Scott made them last for as long as he did. Obviously staying out there at the end, those are probably the most miserable 20 laps I've ever done, the last ones.

Q. Scott, which Supercars weekend was that?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I can't remember. I am too old now. It was one of the early ones. I think it was 2013, 2014. There's another. 2014 Bathurst we had a red flag. My car was bad fast at the start. We had these rules where you could change the cars on the fly.

Someone's car like yesterday the 60 was pretty fast. That's frustrating 'cause everyone changed, probably going to catch back up. I've been in that position. Part of it. Everyone gets a shot to make their car better, so it is what it is.

Q. (No microphone.)

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I mean, I've got an opportunity to do that today.

Q. (No microphone.)

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I guess. I haven't done that.

Q. Started the day today with a pretty green track, rubbered in by the end. How do you expect that to develop through the second race? What do you need to do to your cars to continue to progress?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I mean, I think the wind honestly plays a bigger factor. Correct me if I'm wrong, Scott, I think the track definitely was slippery in the beginning of the race. I think we saw some cars being incredibly strong in the beginning, maybe not so strong at the end.

Again, is that the changes that they're making to the car or is that the track getting better for some cars? Don't really know.

I am interested in seeing how the track really performs when it gets cooler tonight.

THE MODERATOR: We'll let you go. Good luck this afternoon for race number one.