IndyCar Mid-Ohio: McLaughlin holds off Palou for victory

McLaughlin took advantage of a full course caution caused by Kyle Kirkwood to leap from second to lead 45 of the 80 laps.

The three-time Supercars champion came under pressure from Palou in the closing stages but was able to hold off the Spaniard to claim his second career IndyCar win. Penske team-mate Will Power charged from a first-lap spin to claim third.

From pole, Pato O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren SP made a strong start ahead of McLaughlin’s Team Penske entry while Felix Rosenqvist, the highest starter on primaries, immediately got around Colton Herta’s Andretti Autosport to get third and threaten McLaughlin, while Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud filed through fifth and sixth.

Next time by, Palou was threatening Pagenaud, while Kirkwood moved his AJ Foyt Racing-Chevy past David Malukas of Dale Coyne Racing, despite being on primary tyres. Further back, Will Power’s day went from bad to worse, as he nudged into Takuma Sato’s Coyne car and half-spun at Turn 9, dropping the Aussie to the back of the field.

Up front, O’Ward wasn’t escaping from McLaughlin, running just a second clear by Lap 8, while team-mate Rosenqvist was third on his primary tyres, 0.8s behind McLaughlin, 0.8s ahead of Herta. However, the following lap, the immensely unlucky Swede’s car suddenly slowed off Turn 2 and stopped at Turn 4 with an expired Chevrolet engine. Under the subsequent caution, Graham Rahal, Power and Jack Harvey pitted, the two RLL cars took on Firestone alternates, while Power fitted primaries. At the restart, Power would pass Rahal and Jimmie Johnson.

The restart on Lap 11 saw six-time Mid-Ohio winner Dixon get around Herta to move into third, and the AA driver had to work hard to joust hard with Pagenaud to retain fourth place.