Following the 2026 IndyCar season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, an error in the publication of the championship standings wrongly credited race winner Alex Palou with the pole position point despite him starting fourth. Scott McLaughlin, who actually started from pole and finished second, was not given the bonus point, leaving him 13 points behind Palou after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. IndyCar later issued a correction that reduced Palou’s lead over McLaughlin to 11 points ahead of the second race at Phoenix Raceway.
McLaughlin Faces Another Setback at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
McLaughlin’s streak of misfortune continued at the 109th running of the Indy 500 in May 2025, when he lost control on the front straightaway during pace laps and collided with the inside retaining wall on cold tires. This incident echoed a similar mishap suffered by Roberto Guerrero years prior, although this time McLaughlin was not on pole. Kyle Larson, who required a swift conclusion to the rain-delayed event to attend the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, reacted with frustration after another wreck.
Misstep in Social Media Adds to McLaughlin’s Troubles
On March 3, the Indy X social media account commemorated the iconic field of 33 drivers from the Indy 500 at precisely 3:33 p.m. ET. However, the photograph used showed only 32 cars and omitted McLaughlin’s No. 3 entry. The mistake drew attention from IndyCar fans and commentators on social media who noted the irony given McLaughlin’s recent crash at the Speedway.
This picture with only 32 drivers because it’s after McLaughlin walled it is hilarious https://t.co/fzh3N2BVq1
– Jared Harter, Twitter user
No lie, they did him dirty here🤬 https://t.co/MNnD30pVv2
– Beyond the Flag, Twitter account
Many felt the tribute would have been more appropriate using a classic image of all 33 cars racing three-wide under the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment’s helicopter flyover. Unfortunately for McLaughlin, his incident occurred around the same time that the helicopter’s track time concluded, compounding the ill-timed tribute.
Looking Ahead to the 110th Indianapolis 500
The upcoming 110th running of the Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. McLaughlin, who secured pole position in 2024 and is widely regarded as a strong contender, has an opportunity to stage a significant comeback. Success in this event would be a landmark achievement in Speedway history. Fox will provide live coverage of the race starting at 10:00 a.m. ET.
https://twitter.com/IMS/status/2028931668963410042
This picture with only 32 drivers because it’s after McLaughlin walled it is hilarious https://t.co/fzh3N2BVq1
— Jared Harter (@jman6598) March 3, 2026
https://twitter.com/Beyond_The_Flag/status/2029084231423377540
