Saturday’s race at Worldwide Technology Raceway saw another round in the season long battle between Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. While Newgarden came out on top this weekend, he had nothing but good things to say about McLaughlin after the race.
“It’s a little bittersweet because we have a great friendship.” Newgarden said. “He’s a tremendous competitor. I rank Scott as one of the most elite drivers in the world, not just here but in the world. He’s top class. Very difficult to beat.”
Newgarden and McLaughlin have been close competitors on track all season, starting back in Texas when Newgarden beat McLaughlin in a drag race to the line to score his first victory of the season. The pair also have drawn headlines this season with their active social media presences and hit web show Bus Bros.
In a Penske dominated season, the duo have found themselves competing directly against each other in almost every race. Still, Newgarden insists he enjoys the fight despite their strong friendship.
“Nights like this are good.” Newgarden said. “At the end of the day if we’re battling together, things are going well. We want to see that pretty often. I think we will see that often.”
While this fight may be new this season, Newgarden is sure it will continue for years to come, and will only get tougher.
“Scott is not going to go anywhere. He’s only going to get better. I hope we have more battles. They will be tough because I respect him a lot, consider him a friend, but he’s also a competitor.”
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