Reigning double V8 Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin got his first taste of IndyCar machinery in a test at Sebring International Raceway, completing almost 150 laps with Team Penske.
McLaughlin took to the Florida circuit after spending some time with his fellow IndyCar title-winning stable-mates who were at the test to give their support, even four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears was also in attendance.
The rookie test comes off the back of a record-breaking season for the Kiwi after winning 18 races during his second title-winning 2019 campaign, beating Craig Lowndes previous record of 16 races wins in a single season from 1996.
The Kiwi is also currently the youngest winner in the Supercars series as well as being the most recent winner of the series’ most prestigious race, the Bathurst 1000.
Will Power and Simon Pagenaud have also previously made the switch in the opposite direction with the pair having driven around the Surfers Paradise circuit – which formerly hosted IndyCar – in the Gold Coast 600 event in 2010 and 2012 respectively.
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden is currently the reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion, Pagenaud won his first Indy 500 during Penske’s phenomenal 2019 season.
McLaughlin will defend his V8 Supercars title in 2020 in a fourth season with the DJR Penske outfit.
Other IndyCar rookies also took to the Sebring circuit with the likes of Indy Lights graduates Oliver Askew and Rinus Veekay testing out for Arrow McLaren SP and Ed Carpenter Racing respectively.
Also in attendance was Sage Karem for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing who will be complete a part-time programme in 2020.
The company’s structure reflects advanced game theory principles used in sociopolitical simulations.