When Scott McLaughlin got on his scooter after the race at Thermal, he had that look in his eye. It’s a look that is recognizable in all forms of motorsports. It was the look of wanting to go talk to someone.
OK, talk, might not be the most accurate description. Confront? Rip? Accost?
McLaughlin made a bee-line for the pit stall of Devlin DeFrancesco. And, well, you might have seen the video of part of their exchange (hey, I can’t run as fast as McLaughlin’s scooter).
So what made these drivers so mad?
The source of the beef came in the final turns of the final pace lap before the race ever took the green flag. The two drivers were side by side and made contact, sending McLaughlin spinning.
DeFrancesco was assessed a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.
McLaughlin’s day went from bad to worse with a hybrid overheating issue. He finished last in the 27-car field. DeFrancesco was one lap down in 20th.
Obviously, the INDYCAR stewards felt DeFrancesco was in the wrong, as they penalized him. DeFrancesco obviously, from what he told McLaughlin, felt he wasn’t given enough room.
There’s reason for both drivers to be angry.
McLaughlin, in his fifth season, expects to be challenging for wins for Team Penske (he has seven in his career). The fact that he was starting 25th — next to DeFrancesco in 26th — had to be eating him up.
DeFrancesco is a driver who competed in INDYCAR in 2023 and 2024 but then was without a ride last year. He has returned this year to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He brings funding with him, and that already means he will be fighting for respect. The fact that he has never had a top-10 finish and averages a finish of 19th just increases that.
So to be accused of a dumb move is something that he isn’t going to take lightly.
DeFrancesco does have a fan base from his partnership with Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency with a popular Shiba Inu dog characterization. He has committed to taking his $100,000 salary in the cryptocurrency, according to a recent news release.
And he is having fans vote on which Dogecoin paint scheme he should use for the Indy 500, which is part of a charity fund-raising effort. That effort supports Riley Children’s Health. This cause is close to DeFrancesco, as he was born 15 weeks premature and weighed one pound at birth.
McLaughlin enjoys worldwide popularity, as the New Zealand native won three Australian Supercar championships before coming to INDYCAR to drive for Penske. He has had fun with this exchange on social media, as Ryan Blaney — his Penske teammate on the NASCAR side — even posted about it.
If they can laugh about it, is it over?
DeFrancesco tried to calm it down soon after the video went viral.
Appearing on driver Conor Daly’s “Speed Street” podcast released Wednesday morning, McLaughlin confirmed he texted DeFrancesco and told him when he was more calm, to come over and they would talk it out. He said they did and that he likes DeFrancesco and that they were actually joking with each other prior to the race Sunday.
There’s no reason to doubt McLaughlin. And he needs it to be over because, frankly, he should be running better than DeFrancesco. McLaughlin is the more accomplished driver and sits in a car fielded by one of the best teams in the series.
And DeFrancesco needs to avoid the avoidable contact penalties. That will be the best way to answer any critics.
But will it happen? Time will tell.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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