Kiwi Scott McLaughlin is still second overall in the 2022 IndyCar championship standings, after a sixth-placed finish at the Grand Prix of Alabama.
Driving for Team Penske, 28-year-old McLaughlin started fourth on the grid for the 2022 season's fourth race, but lost two places over the course of the 90-lap race.
Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward took the race victory, followed by reigning champion, Chip Ganassi's Alex Palou in second. Ed Carpenter Racing driver Rinus Veekay completed the podium in third place.
Palou's second place finish was enough to see him take the championship lead on 144 points, despite not having won a race so far this season.
McLaughlin trails Palou by three points heading into race five, with one win and another top five finish already, after impressing in his second season racing in America after moving from Australia's Supercars championship.
The Kiwi leads his two teammates in the overall standings, with American Josef Newgarden sitting in third with 135 points, and Australian Will Power fourth with 134.
The sixth placing was one behind compatriot Scott Dixon, who drove a great race to finish in fifth after starting 13th.
The result was Dixon's second top five finish of the season so far, and sees him sitting in sixth place on the driver's standings with 113 points, 31 behind teammate Palou.
Dixon currently has six IndyCar championship titles, the most by a non-American driver, one behind the most decorated driver in US history, AJ Foyt, who has won seven championships.
The IndyCar season continues from May 14 with the GMR Grand Prix, staged at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
