Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin's real-life IndyCar debut has been put on hold, but he's proved he'll be a force on the track, beating some of the circuit's best drivers in a virtual race.
From the comfort of his own home in Australia, McLaughlin won IndyCar's virtual event from virtual Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, the second race in the series' attempt to create content during the worldwide shutdown of sports.
The two-time Supercars champion had to get up at 4am (NZ time) to compete in the 45-lap race, starting in eighth and taking the lead with six laps to go to finish ahead of Penske teammate Will Power.
"Pretty awesome to win this week's Indycar Challenge," McLaughlin tweeted. "We put a fair bit of work in during the week, working out a strategy and it paid off."
IndyCar invited McLaughlin to participate in the iRacing Series, which features current drivers, including fellow Kiwi Scott Dixon.
Dixon, who did not compete in the first race last weekend, finished 16th, after spinning out during the latest outing, something fellow driver Conor Daly noted would never happen in reality.
McLaughlin will also contest the Supercars iseries - the V8 version of virtual racing - which begins April 8.
