Kiwi Scott McLaughlin has broken through for his maiden Indycar victory at St Petersburg, Florida, to begin his second season the US race circuit.
After clocking fastest time in qualifying and starting from pole position, the former three-time Aussie Supercars champion drove faultlessly to hold off defending champion Alex Palou over the tense final laps.
"What a day, I'm out of breath," said McLaughlin. "I really struggled those last couple of laps just to keep my head and save fuel, but we did it."
Fellow Kiwi and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon drove an aggressive fuel strategy that saw him lead several laps, as his rivals pitted around him, but finished eighth, 22 seconds behind his countryman, after starting seventh on the grid.
The winners of the last three season-opening races - including Palou last year and Dixon in 2020 - have gone on to take the championship.
Palou's victory last year was also the first of his career.
McLaughlin's progress over the final laps was slowed, as he caught lapped drivers, with Palou breathing down his neck, waiting for a chance to pass.
But the 2021 Rookie of the Year held on to surpass his previous best IndyCar finish - second behind Dixon at Fort Worth, Texas, last May.
"It was close," says Palou. "It was really, really close, but I don't think we had the pace he had today.
"Like he was on rails, and he knew where to go fast and where to save some fuel at the end. I was just there trying to make some pressure, so hopefully he made a mistake or anything, but no, he was all good."
