Team Penske celebrates 700th pole position milestone as Will Power captured the top spot during qualifying for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on June 14, while teammate Scott McLaughlin secured second place. The achievement marks a significant moment for the team in their half-century legacy of motorsport excellence.
Will Power, driving for Team Penske, recorded his first pole position since July 2023, achieving an average speed of 180.329 mph. This result signified Team Penske’s 700th pole across all race series in which the organization has competed over the past 50 years. Scott McLaughlin, driver of the #3 car and a three-time Supercar champion from New Zealand, joined Power at the front of the grid, contributing to the team‘s front-row lockout for the race.
Scott McLaughlin Reflects on Historic Qualifying Session
During the post-qualifying press conference, Scott McLaughlin was asked about the significance of the 700th pole milestone. He shared his candid thoughts:
“Yeah, I forgot about that. That’s a big one. I would have loved to have got that. Anyway, look, it’s huge to have that with the 700th, then to have a front-row lockout, obviously that’s a big thing. Really happy for the team. Really happy for RP, who is currently locked in on the Le Mans 24 Hours as we speak. All good.”
—Scott McLaughlin, Driver
With this pole position, Team Penske notched its second pole in the 2025 season and achieved their first front-row lockout for the current year. Scott McLaughlin previously took pole at the opening race of the season and later finished that event in fourth place, setting a strong precedent for the team. Team principal Roger Penske’s influence, though he was focused on the Le Mans 24 Hours at the same time, continues to shape the legacy and ambitions of the team.
Strong Start to Scott McLaughlin’s Season
Scott McLaughlin has started the 2025 campaign with consistently solid performances. At the 50th anniversary ACURA Grand Prix of Long Beach, which took place on April 13, he qualified and finished in sixth position. The following month, at the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10, McLaughlin again maintained his qualifying performance, starting and finishing in fourth place. These steady results underline his competitive edge and commitment to Team Penske’s ongoing success.
However, the Detroit Grand Prix presented a challenge. McLaughlin qualified seventh and ultimately took twelfth place after receiving a drive-through penalty following a collision with Nolan Siegel. Despite setbacks, both Team Penske and McLaughlin remain intent on building momentum and achieving positive outcomes in the upcoming races.
McLaughlin Shares Thoughts on Pursuing Racing’s Toughest “Double”
Looking toward future ambitions, Scott McLaughlin addressed the prospect of attempting the grueling “Double Duty” of racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s marquee event, emulating drivers like Kyle Larson. While expressing interest, McLaughlin affirmed his current focus on the IndyCar series and the team.
“I would do it, but I think I’ve got a few boxes I want to tick here in IndyCar first. I know it’s a boring answer but it’s definitely something I’m really interested in doing, but I think I owe it to RP (Roger Penske) and the team to focus on what I’m doing here in IndyCar and then the rest will follow.”
—Scott McLaughlin, Driver
“If you look at [Kyle] Larson; like he was burnt out from doing it the last couple of years and I need to make sure that I’ve won this big race and ultimately the one that I want to win the most, before I even think about moving on to something else and doing something crazy like that,”
McLaughlin added.
McLaughlin’s Indianapolis 500 outing this season ended abruptly when he crashed on his warm-up lap, underlining both the challenge and the allure of America’s most famous open-wheel race.
The Road Ahead for Team Penske and Its Drivers
With the milestone of 700 pole positions now etched in motorsport history, Team Penske turns its attention to sustaining its high performance throughout the rest of the season. The combined efforts of drivers like Will Power and Scott McLaughlin, alongside the expertise of figures such as Roger Penske, signal the team’s ongoing role as a powerful force in auto racing. As the season unfolds, both the team and its drivers are poised to chase further victories and maintain their legacy on the global racing stage.
