IndyCar: Scott McLaughlin to Team Penske full-time in 2021?

Scott McLaughlin is set to make his IndyCar debut with Team Penske in the 2020 season. Could that lead to a full-time effort in 2021?

Team Penske recently confirmed that two-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is set to make his IndyCar debut in the 2020 season behind the wheel of the #2 Chevrolet in the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, May 9.

The 26-year-old New Zealander, who tested an IndyCar for the first time at Sebring International Raceway prior to this announcement, also participated in preseason testing at Circuit of the Americas, and he ended up third on the speed charts.

Shortly thereafter, he tested at Texas Motor Speedway, and he successfully passed the the oval rookie licensing requirements.

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All for one start — and a non-oval start, no less?

Likely not; according to RACER, McLaughlin could compete in as many as eight races throughout the 17-race season.

After he competes in the GMR Grand Prix, there are seven races on the calendar that would not present a conflict with his full-time Supercars commitment competing for DJR Team Penske.

This part-time schedule, assuming it works out in some capacity, could lead into a full-time role in 2021 alongside two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, 2014 series champion and 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power and 2016 champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud.

Team Penske have not run four cars on a full-time basis since the 2017 season. After the season ended, they turned Helio Castroneves’s #3 Chevrolet into a part-time ride for only the two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the GMR Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.

While they still have no plans to field five cars for the Indy 500 like they did in 2017 with Juan Pablo Montoya as their fifth driver, there have been rumors that they could very well go back to running four cars on a full-time basis. Team Penske have not shut the door on this idea, although they have shown stark opposition to it in recent years.

Here is what team president Tim Cindric had to say about the matter last summer about the 2020 season, according to NBC Sports.

"“We’re not running four cars. That’s the end of that discussion.”"

But this was after Alexander Rossi re-signed with Andretti Autosport. Before that, it was a possibility. In fact, according Cindric, it was Rossi, the focal point of the 2019-2020 Silly Season, who had no interest in joining the team when he found out that he would have to join in an a fourth entry, as Team Penske would not replace any of their three active drivers.

Now a four-driver full-time lineup is a possibility again.

Why invest in multiple IndyCar races for a driver who you have no plans to make one of your future championship-contending IndyCar drivers? Team Penske are not know to bring on part-time drivers for select races year in and year out like some teams.

Is that really going to change now?

Doubtful, and because of that, it is looking like McLaughlin could very well be in America’s premier open-wheel racing series full-time in 2021.

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Will Scott McLaughlin end up behind the wheel of a Team Penske Chevrolet as a full-time IndyCar driver in the 2021 season? While he still needs to compete in his race(s) throughout the 2020 season first, things certainly seem to be pointing in that direction.