INDIANAPOLIS — Scott McLaughlin waited 12 months to erase the worst memory of his life.
He spent the time contemplating the haunting images of a spinning car hitting the wall last May before the race had even started, his hands flapping in anger and the frustration sinking in as he climbed out of the Team Penske No. 3 Chevrolet. All the inconsolable McLaughlin could do was cover his face.
He’s not going to blow it Sunday at another sold-out Indianapolis 500.
Instead, McLaughlin intends to take full advantage of a second chance on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval, and he hopes to show everyone what he has learned and how resilient he has become as he tries to write a worst-to-first script.
“No doubt I’ve come back stronger from it,” he said. “I don’t think I’m driving differently this year because of it. I’m just looking forward to getting back into the race, creating a new storyline, getting on with it. I’d love to go zero to hero, of course, but driving with emotion like that is probably a detriment. I’ve just got to go out there, execute and see what I’ve got.”