Even starting from 26th on the grid, Kiwi Scott McLaughlin believes he has the ability and the car to claim victory at the Indianapolis 500 on Monday (NZ time).
In his second season racing in America, McLaughlin has enjoyed success to begin this season's IndyCar championship.
From the season's first five races, McLaughlin has one win - his first in the US - and another top five finish to sit third in the championship standings.
The 28-year-old is 28 points back from series leader Will Power - a miniscule amount in the hyper competitive arena of IndyCar.
McLaughlin will have to work hard if he's to retake the championship lead over the next week.
By his own standards, a poor qualifying performance earlier this week has McLaughlin starting on the ninth row of the grid, down in 26th and needing to make up a lot of ground over the course of the 200 lap race.
But with a week between qualifying and the race itself, McLaughlin is confident in his own ability to challenge the front of the grid come Monday morning.
"I feel like we're in a really good spot in terms of my race car," McLaughlin said.
"We've had a really good run through the practices and I've been one of the few cars that can move through the pack when we're deep in the pack.
"I feel pretty comfortable there. It's going to take a lot of smarts and being smart with where you put the car and the risks you take, and potentially the risks you take that move you forward."
Amid his own struggles, McLaughlin has had a front row seat to see his compatriot Scott Dixon continue to cement his legacy as one of the greatest on US soil.
Dixon, 41, will start at the front of the grid on Monday after claiming pole position at Indianapolis for the fifth time in his career.
If all goes to plan, Dixon will take the chequered flag at the Indy 500 for the second time in his career, and first since 2008 come Monday.
And even though enduring a season that sees him fifth in the championship without a race victory yet, Dixon's success is no surprise to McLaughlin.
"Scotty's just always there," McLaughlin added. "It doesn't matter whether his car's been bad or whatever, he makes the most out of it, takes the most out of it.
"He's got top five [finishes] with a car that probably shouldn't be top five - that's what he does.
"He's definitely a guy that I'm looking at, obviously he's really speedy this month. He's been the car to beat all month here in the 500. He's going to be very hard to beat.
"He's just doing his normal Scott Dixon stuff, he's just a veteran getting the points and doing his thing."
Even down in 26th, McLaughlin won't need to look far for inspiration to move up the field either.
The Kiwi took plenty of lessons from former teammate Simon Pagenaud's efforts in 2021, who also started on the ninth row before driving to a podium finish.
"I definitely think we can win it. Simon Pagenaud started 28th [26th] last year, and he was third, two cars behind by the end. A couple more laps and he could have won it.
"He had a car fast enough to win and I feel very comfortable with how I'm feeling. I've got a very similar style to Simon, and I feel like that can help me come through the field.
"I have full faith we can do that. It's going to take no mistakes, but I believe we can do it."
McLaughlin finished 20th at the 2021 Indy 500, as part of a season that saw him take the championship's 'rookie of the year' accolade.
