SALINAS, Ca. – Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet) waited until the final moments of qualifying, then delivered exactly when Team Penske needed him most.
McLaughlin put together a stunning final lap Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to claim pole for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, edging newly crowned NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) by just 0.0177 seconds.
The Team Penske driver turned a 1:09.1363 around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course, earning his third NTT P1 Award of the 2026 season and his first road-course pole since 2024.
Palou appeared poised to secure the top spot in the closing stages, but McLaughlin’s final attempt proved decisive.
The margin was razor thin — the kind of difference that can come down to a single corner at Laguna Seca.
Qualifying Results | Starting Grid
McLaughlin delivers when it counts
McLaughlin entered the weekend looking to end a lengthy winless streak, but his pace around Laguna Seca suggested Team Penske had found something special.
After topping Practice 2 in the shortened Saturday session, McLaughlin carried that momentum into qualifying and saved his best effort for the Firestone Fast Six.
His 1:09.1363 was enough to deny Palou and put the No. 3 Chevrolet at the front of the grid for Sunday’s 95-lap season finale.
For McLaughlin, it marked his third pole of the season, adding another milestone to a campaign that has produced plenty of speed but not yet the race victory he has been searching for.
“Since the thing left the hauler, this thing has been unreal,” McLaughlin said. “So stoked for Chevy to get the 250th pole, but I’ve got to try and transition this into a win. Really proud of everyone.”
“We were a little bit lost there for a little bit, but to finally get back a little pace on road courses, which we’ve been a little bit lost, I’m really proud of Raul (Prados, race engineer) and the team.”
Palou settles for second
Palou will start alongside McLaughlin after posting a 1:09.1540.
The five-time series champion already had the biggest prize secured, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver still had plenty of incentive to finish the season with another victory.
Palou’s second-place qualifying effort gives him a front-row starting position and puts him in prime position to challenge McLaughlin immediately when the green flag falls.
“It’s not the race, so consistency doesn’t matter much,” Palou said. “But honestly, happy. We went for it. We tried to get the pole. Really happy with another front-row start. Scott did a great lap.”
Rosenqvist puts MSR on the front row of the fight
Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 Sirius XM / Nickleback Radio Honda) continued Meyer Shank Racing’s strong weekend by qualifying third.
Rosenqvist posted a 1:09.193, just 0.0567 seconds behind McLaughlin, giving MSR a major opportunity to fight for the victory in Sunday’s finale.
Alexander Rossi (No. 20 Java House Chevrolet) qualified fourth for Ed Carpenter Racing, while the battle behind the top four remained extremely tight.
Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda) qualified seventh for Andretti Global, with teammate Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 DKY Honda) eighth. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Velo / Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) qualified ninth, while Will Power (No. 26 TWG Andretti Global Honda) ended the session 14th after narrowly missing the second round.
Kirkwood’s seventh-place starting position is particularly important because he entered the weekend battling for second in the championship standings.
A finale with plenty still at stake
Although Palou has already wrapped up the 2026 championship, Sunday’s race still carries significant stakes.
The fight for championship runner-up remains one of the major storylines heading into the finale, with Kirkwood among the drivers looking to close the season on a high note.
And at the very front, McLaughlin has the opportunity to turn a pole position into something even more meaningful.
He has the fastest car.
He has the front-row advantage.
Now he needs to finish the job.
Up Next: Final Practice, 8 PM/ET
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