Penske Eyes IndyCar Stars for Porsche Racing Team

As Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) gears up for a refocused assault on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2026—following its announced withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship after the current season—the whispers in the paddock are growing louder about a dream crossover for Team Penske’s IndyCar stars.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

With factory resources now laser-focused on American endurance racing, rumors are swirling that Roger Penske could deploy two of his top NTT IndyCar Series aces, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin (pictured), as fourth drivers in PPM’s Porsche 963 LMDh entries for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The speculation ignited during this weekend’s IMSA pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway, kicking off today, November 14, 2025. Both Newgarden and McLaughlin are on the entry list for PPM’s twin 963s, sharing laps with core factory pilots Felipe Nasr, Matt Campbell, and Julien Andlauer. PPM managing director and Penske Racing president Jonathan Diuguid didn’t mince words when pressed on their involvement, calling it the “first step in that direction” for both drivers to compete in the January 24-25 showdown.

“Josef obviously had good success in the car… but this is the first step in the direction,” Diuguid told Sportscar365, emphasizing that no final decisions have been etched in stone yet. Official lineups aren’t expected until Porsche’s Night of Champions gala on November 29.

For Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar champion and Penske mainstay, the path to Daytona feels like destiny revisited. The Tennessee native was part of PPM’s triumphant No. 7 Porsche squad that claimed overall victory in the 2024 Rolex 24, sharing stints with Nasr, Cameron, and Campbell in a masterclass of strategy and speed. That win wasn’t a one-off; Newgarden had dipped his toes into endurance waters earlier, testing the 963 at Sebring in February and even racing it to a class podium at Petit Le Mans in 2023. His familiarity with the car’s hybrid powertrain and the brutal 24-hour grind make him a no-brainer for a return engagement, potentially splitting time across both PPM cars to maximize Penske’s homegrown talent.

Enter McLaughlin, the Kiwi sensation who’s been turning heads in IndyCar since joining Penske in 2021. With seven oval wins under his belt—including a breakout 2024 season—the 32-year-old brings raw speed and an unquenchable thirst for endurance challenges. McLaughlin’s Daytona resume is already respectable, with three prior starts in LMP2 and GT Daytona machinery, including a 2023 debut alongside Newgarden in an Acura.

His recent Sebring test laps in the 963 earlier this year only fueled the fire, and Diuguid confirmed the team is “definitely” eyeing him for the big one. “We haven’t made any decisions for Scott and Josef,” Diuguid added, but the subtext screams intent—especially with McLaughlin fresh off a 2025 Rolex cameo in a Trackhouse Corvette, where he sampled GTP machinery outside the Penske fold.

This potential double-dip aligns seamlessly with PPM’s strategic pivot. Freed from WEC commitments like the grueling Le Mans 24 Hours, Porsche is slimming its LMDh driver pool to four full-season aces plus two “semi-regulars” for key endurance triples: Daytona, Sebring, and Road Atlanta. Expect stalwarts like Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre to anchor one car, with Nasr and Andlauer locked in for the other via contract. The fourth-driver slots at Daytona? Prime real estate for Penske’s IndyCar duo, allowing them to moonlight without derailing their May schedule at the Indianapolis 500.

Diuguid highlighted the tactical edge of four-man crews in the Rolex, citing the event’s sky-high car counts and relentless traffic as mentally draining compared to Le Mans. “We’ve done it both ways and won it both ways,” he noted, but four drivers have become the “default” for staying sharp over 24 hours. Absent from the test due to FIA GT clashes are Vanthoor and Lauren Heinrich, while Mathieu Jaminet’s exit to Genesis in WEC opens another door for fresh blood.

If the rumor holds, it would mark a poetic full-circle for Penske, whose empire spans IndyCar and NASCAR dominance and IMSA prowess. Running Newgarden and McLaughlin under the factory Porsche banner could not only bolster PPM’s title defense but also inject IndyCar flair into sports car racing’s crown jewel. As the test laps unfold this weekend, all eyes will be on whether these “first steps” evolve into a giant leap for The Captain’s enduring legacy. Stay tuned—Daytona’s Roar is just getting started.