In addition to driving for Penske, McLaughlin remains in awe of his racing hero, fellow New Zealand native Scott Dixon, a six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion with Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It’s pretty surreal, really,” McLaughlin said. “To be honest, I never thought I would be racing him at all. The IndyCar thing came up and was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up from Roger and the team. To be able to race Scott Dixon in his current era where he is becoming the greatest of all time is a pretty proud moment.
“He has put New Zealand motorsports on the map as well as a few other people. To be in his presence and still be able to race wheel to wheel is very cool,” McLaughlin added. “I’m excited for that. Whenever I speak to him, I’m in awe of what he has done. When we put the helmets on, if there is one person, I want to beat the most, it’s Scott Dixon. You know how great he is. If you are beating him, it’s a good day.
“I’m completely in awe of what he has done. If I’m able to achieve a quarter of what he has done, I’ll be a very proud man. I want to fly that New Zealand flag a bit more for both of us.”
Even before making the move to the NTT IndyCar Series, McLaughlin consulted with Dixon.
“I texted Scott initially when Tim Cindric (Team Penske president) and Roger Penske came to me proposing this offer to race in IndyCar and I asked if I could do it?” McLaughlin recalled. “Scott was really complementary and thought I could do it. It was very open talking to him and getting ideas.
“Obviously, Ganassi and Penske have a long history of big rivalries, but for him to reach out to me and see how I’m doing, is great.”
McLaughlin has a partner in his adventure, his wife Karly, a native of Queens, N.Y. The pair met during a 2016 go-kart event in Las Vegas.
“Karly and I met in Las Vegas and it was love at first sight,” he admitted. “We kept in contact from our four days in Las Vegas and she moved to Australia with me about five months later. The rest is history. We got married in December 2019 and it has been really good.
“It’s nice to have some family here. A lot of her family will come to some of the races this year. To have family around, some of them for the very first time, is very special.
“I love America. Everyone seems so nice; the fans and the team have been so welcoming. I’m very excited for what is ahead and if I can put my name on the map a bit more here in America.”
The couple is adjusting to life in Huntersville, N.C., near the Team Penske headquarters.
“We’ve been to Asheville, N.C., which is an awesome place. The breweries were really nice,” McLaughlin said. “We want to go to South Carolina to the beaches and to see Charleston, but we are playing it safe with the virus and laying low until we can get on with it.
“We lived in Brisbane, Australia, and that was a great place with the beaches and waterfront. We love the beach and to not be too far away, we have the best of both worlds.”
During their first season in IndyCar, Scott and Karly want to arrive at race venues a bit early and leave a few days late to checkout more of the United States.
McLaughlin is discovering America and its race fans are about to discover McLaughlin. There is a very good chance they are going to like what they see from the very likable, and very fast, driver from New Zealand.