THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Scott McLaughlin, who will be on the front row for not one but two races this weekend. It's a Penske one/two front row, in fact. Just a tick slower than Will Power, your teammate. Thoughts on qualifying open the front row for two races this weekend.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I won Class B. Will is a genius over two laps. One-lap specialist, especially around this place.
I learned a ton with my first qualifying run here last year. I'm really proud of that one. Yeah, that run, it wasn't perfect. The car was perfect, but we made the most of it. I hit my marks. That's all you can do as a race driver. Really proud of it.
The Chevy is really strong in race running. Yeah, I'm just really proud. I put a lot of work to be better here. It's paid off so far.
THE MODERATOR: Last week at Toronto, back-to-back pole positions. One, two, three in a row I guess, let's call it. When it comes to that, you have a little momentum.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, look, it's awesome for the team. We haven't had a pole all year. I think our best qualifying spot was second. For us to sweep the first three spots, and then the race two to be on the front row together, that's awesome.
Yeah, and we haven't tested here. We didn't test here, basically the whole field. For us, it's a big testament to trusting our work and trusting what we've done behind the scenes, trusting what we had last year. It's great for the team.
THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.
Q. Will told us on Wednesday at this point of the year, going for wins, whatever happens to Alex happens. Is that the attitude you're taking?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, we're at the point now where we you can risk a lot, whether that's strategy and whatnot. Ultimately you don't want to fall any further down in the championship standings.
I think we've got to put pressure on Alex. We have to make sure he doesn't get too far ahead. Ultimately if he has two bad races here, we finish in the top three over the next two races, it changes things a lot. There's a lot of racing after that.
We know how crazy of a race Nashville is. Laguna is new because of the new pavement. I generally think it's not over. We're full steam ahead, just pushing.
At the end of the day we have to put pressure on Alex as well. That comes from our team and how we work.
Q. When Josef was in here yesterday, he said he opened up his playbook on how to get around this place. How much did you rely on that today? How much did you rely on Will as well?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think as teammates we talk a lot between the three of us. What's even more impressive on Will's run is he didn't have a great run in practice yesterday. Laid it on the table. That was a great run.
I give credit to Josef. We were on a plane home from Tahoe after doing a sponsor thing. I asked him, I watched every lap of his race and every lap of mine. He was very open what I could do better, where I could get air, whatever. He doesn't have to do that. I think that's the camaraderie I think we've got on the team.
I'm sure there's things he hasn't told me. At the end of the day he opened up a lot, and I learned a lot. Like I said, I've been studying this a lot. Hopefully that transitions into a decent race because I think we have three decent race cars.
THE MODERATOR: It's NTT INDYCAR SERIES P1 award here at Iowa Speedway for Will Power. Not one, but two. That's now 69 and 70 for the driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.
Will, you kind of have this thing figured out when it comes to qualifying for two races in a row.
WILL POWER: Yeah, I think it does matter here to qualify up front, it really does. Actually on pole because you just get a lot better chance to save your tires, so...
Yeah, it's obviously a long race. Different strategies and stuff. It's a good start. Car is well-balanced. Not sure of how the race car is because everyone was out of sequence with tires yesterday.
Do our best to dig deep and try to get a win.
Q. Scott, a question concerning the weather. Short rain showers, do you think it made the track quicker, faster, better?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, to be honest, that was all new for me as well. I didn't know what the track was going to be like just after the rain.
But obviously the times, it was very quick times, like 3/10ths quicker than we did last year. I think the track was fine. I think if you had any more rain, maybe weepers become a problem, but I think it was okay.
Q. Since the Brickyard NASCAR race is going to have a lot of your old mates in it, trying to talk Tim Cindric, a consideration if they ever thought of putting you in a Cup car for that race. Is that something you would really want to do one day?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, I would love to try and do it. We've got to make sure. Right now I think Penske, they need to probably be better on road courses in the NASCAR Cup side. They are full steam ahead working on that. I think Tim and Roger to give me the best opportunity to show what I can do.
I wouldn't say it's guaranteed or anything. I know Will and Josef want to have a go as well. I'm very happy with what I've done. I chose to go to INDYCAR because it was something completely different to what I've ever done. I'm having a blast doing this.
If the opportunity comes to race a wheelbarrow with a Penske logo on it, I'll do it because I will race anything with a Penske logo on it. That's just who I am.
Q. Former Brickyard winners in NASCAR, like Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, said you would be fantastic in a Cup car. To hear that kind of praise come from those guys...
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It's nice. Shane put on a show in Chicago. I think it's definitely pumped everyone in Australasian motorsport. It's fantastic.
Those Cup guys are no joke. When they get on ovals and tracks that they know, they're going to be fast as well. It's nice of them. It's nice to hear that. Right now I'm fully focused on INDYCAR.
Q. Will, how identical is the setup between you and Scott's car?
WILL POWER: Actually I haven't looked. It's pretty close. Probably a few different little things. Ovals are pretty finicky. I think all three cars are pretty close, pretty close. Little differences.
Q. Your knack for doing two poles in one day, that doesn't happen hardly ever in INDYCAR because the scenario doesn't present itself that way. How cool is that, to be able to have that?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it was way cooler last year because I really needed those poles. But, yeah, it is very cool this year because I'm trying to win this race, so... I've been trying to win it for a long time.
Yeah, stoked to be starting up front. No better spot, obviously.
Q. To get back to Victory Lane obviously is the objective and the goal. How big a boost would that be for you, especially coming off your championship season last year?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it would be a big boost at this point in the season for us. Certainly it's been a tough season. Certainly didn't have the dominance we had last year as a team. Yeah, couple wins here would be amazing.
Q. Will, how much does this mean to you in terms of your career? How do you think you guys are going to do in race trim later today and tomorrow?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it's fantastic to get another pole, another two poles in a season. Qualifying, we've struggled this year.
Yeah, the race will be interesting to see. Guys tested here. Have other cars have improved on their race setup. The race is so much different to qualifying, it really is.
Felt like we got a pretty good balance. We'll see. Massive tire degradation, huge.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports