IndyCar aces Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin excluded from Penske's Daytona 24 lineup despite successful test

Two of Team Penske's IndyCar drivers have failed to make the cut for Porsche Penske's lineups for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin participated in a three-day IMSA test at the Daytona International Speedway with Porsche Penske Motorsport from November 14 to 16.

Both drivers were present between the No. 6 and No.7 Porsche Penske 966 GTPs. Newgarden had previous GTP racing experience, having raced in the class with Porsche Penske and won the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona. However, for McLaughlin, it was his first time in a GTP car.

The Kiwi driver shared he was "having a blast" driving the GTP. But ultimately, he wasn't sure if the test would lead to a 2026 Daytona 24 drive and rested his fate in Roger Penske's hands. Josef Newgarden shared a similar sentiment about racing at Daytona and emphasized that he would "love to" make a return with Porsche Penske for the IMSA season opener.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Test - Source: Getty

Penske Racing president Jonathan Diguid had addressed the possibility of including both IndyCar drivers in Porsche Penske's lineups, highlighting that they were in the mix as contenders, but no decisions had been made then. However, Newgarden and McLaughlin haven't made the cut.

On Tuesday, IMSA released a provisional 61-car entry list for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell, and Kevin Estre. will share the No. 6 Porsche Penske GTP, which secured a third place at the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona, while Felipe Nasr, Laurin Heinrich, and Julien Andlauer will pilot the No. 7 GTP, which won the race this year.

Scott McLaughlin seemingly still has an option to race in the LMP2 class, as Tower Motorsports, the team with which he raced at Daytona twice, has an opening for its No. 8 Oreca LMP2 07.

7 IndyCar drivers confirmed for 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

IMSA WeatherTech Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring - Practice - Source: Getty

Though Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin didn't feature on the provisional list for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona, seven of their IndyCar rivals do. The prominent names include reigning champion Alex Palou, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and six-time champion Scott Dixon, and two-time champion Will Power.

Take a look at the full list below:

1. Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou - No. 93 Acura ARX-06 for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian
2. Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon - No. 60 Acura ARX-06 for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian
3. Andretti Global's Will Power - No. 75 Mercedes AMG-GT3 for 75 Express
4. Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood - No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for Vasser Sullivan Racing
5. PREMA Racing's Callum Ilott - No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) for Wright Motorsports
6. Arrow McLaren Nolan Siegel - No. 343 ORECA LMP2 07 for Inter Europol Competition

The seventh driver is an honorary name on this list - Colton Herta. The 25-year-old left IndyCar after the 2025 season to race in F2 in 2026 as part of a bigger plan to materialize his F1 dream. The former Andretti Global driver will pilot the No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing.

Will Power will be the only debutant at the Rolex 24 at Daytona among the IndyCar drivers. He was scheduled to compete in the 2023 edition of the race, but had to withdraw just over a week before the event, with his wife, Liz, suffering complications after a surgery.

Callum Ilott is the only non-one-off entry among his IndyCar peers. The 27-year-old is set to contest the entire 2026 IMSA season with Wright Motorsports alongside his commitment to PREMA Racing, a team whose future in IndyCar has yet to be decided.