SALINAS, Ca. – Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet) wasted no time making his presence felt at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
With qualifying looming and the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale approaching, McLaughlin posted the fastest lap in a dramatically shortened second practice session Saturday, putting Team Penske at the top of the timesheets at the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey.
McLaughlin turned a 1:10.3014 in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet to edge Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 Sirius XM / Nickelback Radio Honda) by 0.2419 seconds. Newly crowned five-time champion Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) was third, followed by Team Penske teammate David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet) and Andretti Global’s Will Power (No. 26 TWG Honda).
But the session was anything, but normal.
Practice 2 Results
A 25-minute sprint
Practice 2 was originally scheduled for a full session Saturday afternoon, but a serious crash during a Porsche support race resulted in extensive catch-fence repairs around the top of the Corkscrew.
The delay ultimately reduced the INDYCAR session to just 25 minutes, forcing teams to abandon much of their normal practice programs and immediately focus on extracting as much information as possible from every lap.
With limited track time available, traffic became a factor almost immediately as the 25-car field poured onto the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit.
McLaughlin proved quickest when it mattered.
The Team Penske driver briefly ran wide into the gravel but still managed to set the session’s benchmark. He also required floor repairs following the excursion, adding another challenge to an already compressed session.
Rosenqvist stays hot
Rosenqvist continued what had already been an impressive weekend for Meyer Shank Racing.
After finishing second to Palou in Practice 1, the Swede again placed his No. 60 Honda near the front, this time ending Practice 2 second-fastest.
The result gives Rosenqvist plenty of momentum heading into qualifying and reinforces MSR’s pace around a circuit where the team has looked increasingly comfortable.
Palou, meanwhile, remained firmly in contention.
The newly crowned five-time champion led Friday’s opening practice but settled for third in Practice 2 with a 1:10.5575. With the championship already secured, Palou’s focus is now on closing the season with another victory at one of his strongest circuits.
Schumacher shows speed
Mick Schumacher (No. 47 Nereus RLL Honda) also turned heads, placing sixth overall with a 1:10.5897.
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver was less than three-tenths of a second away from McLaughlin’s benchmark, providing another encouraging performance as he prepares to transition to Meyer Shank Racing for the 2027 season.
Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Sam’s Club Andretti Global Honda) was seventh, Alexander Rossi (No. 20 Java House Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet) eighth, while Arrow McLaren teammates Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Velo Chevrolet) and Nolan Siegel (No. 6 NTT Data) rounded out the top 10.
Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), meanwhile, finished 17th after completing only eight laps, leaving the Arrow McLaren driver with plenty of work to do before qualifying.
Championship battle adds another layer
Although Palou has already wrapped up the championship, the fight for second place remains wide open.
Kirkwood, O’Ward, Lundgaard and other contenders entered the Monterey weekend separated by a relatively small number of points, making every position in qualifying and Sunday’s 95-lap finale important.
The shortened Practice 2 session offered little opportunity to settle the pecking order.
Now, the pressure shifts to qualifying.
McLaughlin has momentum. Rosenqvist has speed. Palou remains a threat.
And with only one opportunity to secure the final pole of the 2026 season, the battle for track position is about to get serious.
Up Next: Qualifying, 4:30 PM/ET
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