P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin saw his day go from bad to worse on Saturday as an uncharacteristically poor qualifying run to 14th for the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland was compounded by the n…
Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske had a rough day during the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland, starting with a disappointing 14th place in qualifying and requiring an engine replacement. The engine change, although providing him with a new 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 powerplant, comes with a six-position grid penalty, pushing him back to 20th place. With only four races left in the season and currently sitting in fifth place in the Drivers’ championship, McLaughlin will need to make significant passes on Sunday to limit any potential damage to his standings. Similarly, Kyffin Simpson from Chip Ganassi Racing also received a six-place grid penalty for his No. 4 Honda, moving him to the back of the field after qualifying in 25th place in the 28-car lineup.