Dust.
That’s all New Zealand native Scott McLaughlin could see as he rapidly neared the hill in Turn 5 during his NTT IndyCar Series debut during the season opener at Barber Motorsports Park. In a split second decision as he crested the hill, the rookie veered right, sticking with his original gameplan. It happened to be one of his smartest decisions of the day.
Moments before, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden made an uncharacteristic mistake that led him to spinning out in the middle of the pack. He thought he had the car, but once it hit the grass on the left, Newgarden was pitched sideways.