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Scott McLaughlin was embarrassed.

And somewhat ashamed.

Yet all of those heartfelt emotions quickly went away with one glance at his 8-month old daughter, Lucy.

The Team Penske IndyCar series driver suffered through a nightmare at last month’s Indianapolis 500.

While warming up on the pace lap, he inexplicably lost control of his car and crashed into the wall.

The native of New Zealand saw his hopes for winning the coveted race gone before the historic 200-lap event ever started.

“Worst moment of my life,� McLaughlin said.

A national television audience watched McLaughlin crouch in the infield with his head in his hands as his No. 3 bright yellow Pennzoil Chevrolet was hauled away.

The shock and disappointment was evident in his face as he slowly returned to the garage to try to make sense of what happened.

“It was so tough,� McLaughlin said. “The only good part about it was the following week I was back in my car, in my happy place.�

That happy place Sunday night might be World Wide Technology Raceway.

McLaughlin is looking to make amends for the Indianapolis disaster with a strong showing in the Bommarito 500 at the Madison oval.

The 260-lap race begins at 7 p.m. Sunday. It is the first IndyCar series event to be broadcast live in prime time. The Fox television network is televising all series events this season.

The Bommarito 500 caps off a busy race weekend in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ suburb that also features USAC Silver Crown Route 66 race at 7 p.m. Saturday.

McLaughlin traditionally has run well at Gateway. He had the fastest car in qualifying each of the past two seasons and finished second and fifth behind Josef Newgarden, last year’s winner, and Scott Dixon, who took the crown in 2023. Newgarden has won the event five times over the past eight seasons.

But this just might be McLaughlin’s year. He has finished in the top 10 in four of seven IndyCar races this season, including three top-five efforts. The Charlotte, North Carolina, resident placed third in the Grand Prix of Alabama on May 4, his top performance of the campaign.

McLaughlin started 10th in Indianapolis and headed into the race booming with confidence.

That momentum was quickly destroyed.

“I still don’t know what happened,� he said.

But McLaughlin bounced back from the wreck much quicker than he ever imagined.

Following the race, he returned to his trailer and the first thing he saw was Lucy fast asleep with a little smile on her face.

“It was easy to just look at her and you immediately get away from the racing world,� McLaughlin said. “No matter how bad what happened on the track was, it got a little better seeing her. It brings you down to earth and makes you realize what’s really important.�

McLaughlin has his wife, Karly, and Lucy by his side at every race.

“She’s a chill baby,� McLaughlin said. “She slept through the whole race when I was crashing at Indy.�

McLaughlin has won seven races in 75 starts since joining the circuit full time in 2021. He has led 1,238 laps over those five years, and his last triumph came in the Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sept. 1 of last year.

The 32-year-old, who had a birthday on Tuesday, has been relatively consistent this season and believes he is sitting on a breakout performances.

And it could come on his first Father’s Day as a father.

“We love this track, it really suits me,� McLaughlin said. “It’s smooth, and it allows me to be aggressive with the car.�

With the Indianapolis crash in the rearview mirror, McLaughlin is ready to go full speed ahead Sunday.

“Right now, I don’t think we’re that far away (from a win),� he noted. “We’re been close. We’ve got the pace to do it. Now, we’ve just got to execute the whole race.�

No matter the outcome, McLaughlin knows he will see a smiling Lucy after the race.

“That’ll make my day,� he said.