Porsche “Definitely” Looking at McLaughlin for Daytona

Photo: Team Penske

Porsche Penske Motorsport is “definitely” looking at the possibility of having Scott McLaughlin as part of its lineup for January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona according to Penske Racing President Jonathan Diuguid.

The NTT IndyCar Series ace, who tested the team’s factory Porsche 963 in February’s IMSA-sanctioned test at Sebring International Raceway in February, could be in the mix for Porsche Penske’s roster, similar to fellow Team Penske IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden when he was most recently part of the team’s 2024 Rolex 24-winning lineup in the No. 7 entry.

“I think if you ask Scotty, he’d say he’d show up with his helmet and driving suit wherever he’s told to be,” Diuguid told Sportscar365.

“He had a good time and he performed quite well at Sebring, which isn’t the easiest track to get to know.

“His feedback was that the LMDh car drives a lot closer to a V8 Supercar than it does to an IndyCar, so he was quite comfortable right away.

“The biggest thing is him and Matt [Campbell] are both from that part of the world.

“Scott drove the car for an hour and thought he was doing well and then Matt came back and said, ‘Hey, you should try this electronic setting or this brake bias setting or this diff controller setting’ and that kind of opened Scott’s eyes a lot to how you have to be technically-savvy to maximize the most out of a car.”

When asked if there’s a possibility for the Kiwi to be part of Porsche Penske’s lineup for Daytona, Diuguid didn’t rule out the prospect, even if the team opts to continue with three-driver lineups for the race.

“We ran four-driver lineups in Daytona in 2024 when we won that race with Josef,” said Diuguid. “It’s something we’re definitely looking at but we haven’t made any decisions yet.”

McLaughlin has five previous IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starts to his credit, including a LMP2 class win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Tower Motorsports in 2023.

His most recent outing came in January’s Rolex 24 with Trackhouse’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD Pro and he also took part in last weekend’s Suzuka 1000km in a Johor Racing JMR Corvette, scoring a podium finish.

“I’d love to do Daytona again,” McLaughlin told Sportscar365. “Petit I’m not doing this year, as it’s my daughter’s first birthday, so I’ll be in Australia.

“But I’d love to do Daytona and the Bathurst 12 Hour if that works out, but it’s not 100 percent yet.”

McLaughlin, though his GM connections, indicated he also may have options to return to a Corvette for Daytona, which would make the three-time Australian Supercars champion in demand for the twice-around-the-clock Florida endurance classic.

However, he said he’d grab a Penske Porsche drive “with both hands” if given the opportunity.

“I have driven the GTP car now which is a good thing, but everyone keeps their cards close to their chest in their regard,” he said. “I have no idea.

“Right now I am just trying to speak with GM and figure out if I can at least get a ride in a Corvette, and if Roger [Penske] wants me, then that’s up to him.

“I’d love to try the race overall, it would be really cool. But Porsche already have some amazing drivers and it depends if there’s a spot. If there is a spot there, I’d grab it with both hands.”

Diuguid Doesn’t Expect Changes in Core Driver Lineup for 2026

While Porsche has yet to confirm its factory participation in either the WeatherTech Championship or FIA World Endurance Championship for next year, amid rumors of a potential withdrawal from the WEC, Diuguid admitted he doesn’t see any major changes in its current eight-driver core driver roster should both programs continue.

“I don’t see any reason to make a change,” he said. “I think all of them are performing quite well.

“Unless something changes outside of what I know today… Last year we had some shuffled lineups and we contracted the lineup from ten to eight drivers.

“I would say that’s gone extremely well. Next year we have one clash between the two championships, so it’s even reduced again. But we ran a two-driver lineup in Brazil and obviously talked about the success we’ve had there. We’ll see another two-driver lineup for Fuji.

“To be honest, I think the drivers like it too as well because they’re in the car more often.”

Jamie Klein contributed to this report

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John