McLaughlin phones home as first time IndyCar winner

Who do you call when you've just won your first IndyCar race?

Scott McLaughlin's first call after winning IndyCar's season opener in St Petersburg on Sunday was to his parents back in New Zealand who witnessed in the early hours of the morning down under their son's flawless drive.

The Kiwi, who was plucked from the ranks of Australia's Super Car championship by Team Penske in 2020, had secured his maiden pole on Saturday, outpacing teammate Will Power.

But from the outset, McLaughlin was up against a massive opposition, not only from within his own outfit but also from Andretti's Colton Herta and Chip Ganassi's Alex Palou among others.

But the 28-year-old held his own at the start and for the opening 26 laps until a full course yellow and subsequent pit stops mixed up the running order.

However, as the 100-lap race unfolded, pit stop rotations and strategy brought the Bathurst 1000 winner back into play, along with Palou.

The reigning IndyCar champion locked on to McLaughlin's gearbox in the closing stages of the race, but flawless driving from the Kiwi under pressure kept Palou at bay, with the winner and runner-up separated by just 0.509s at the checkered flag, while Power clocked in third.

On the podium, McLaughlin took a leaf out of Daniel Ricciardo's book of celebrations as he indulged in a shoey to celebrate his milestone achievement.