Why has Scott McLaughlin named his No. 3 Team Penske squad the "Thirsty Threes"?

IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin’s team is known as the Thirsty Threes because he races in the No.3 Team Penske Chevrolet and is thirsty for wins. The New Zealander joined the series in 2021 and presented the name himself, and it stuck with the fans as well as the commentators.

The No.3 driver and its crew are now regarded as the Thirsty Threes. The New Zealander was featured on 1News after taking the pole position at the 2024 Indy 500 and traveled the reason why he named his team the Thirsty Threes. He said:

“We're just thirsty for wins, thirsty for good times. At the end of the day we have a beer when we have a win and we enjoy it just like the Kiwis would. They're not saying 'let's go Scotty', they're saying let's go thirsty threes.”

Scott McLaughlin also appeared on the Pat McAfee show after setting the fastest lap in the Indy 500 qualifying as the host and the Kiwi driver discussed how Team Penske locked out the front row. When McAfee questioned McLaughlin about the Thirsty Threes name, the 31-year-old said:

“The Thirsty Threes is my team. It's caught on. All the fans and commentators call it that.”

Coincidentally, Scott McLaughlin has also finished the last two IndyCar seasons 3rd in the championship. Helio Castroneves, who is the former driver of the No 3 Penske won three Indy 500s during his time with the team before McLaughlin replaced the Brazilian.

Scott McLaughlin has shown glimpses of being a championship contender and has been the highest-placed Team Penske driver over the last couple of seasons. The Kiwi driver took the pole at the maiden race of the 2025 IndyCar season but was unable to convert it into a win.

“Luck of the draw”: Scott McLaughlin details how teammate Will Power's crash ruined his race

Scott McLaughlin started the race on the hard compound primary tires. However, an early caution caused by Will Power and Nolan Siegel coming together allowed the alternate runners to essentially get a free pitstop. McLaughlin finished the race in P4, with those who started on alternate tires (Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, and Scott Dixon) finishing ahead of the Team Penske driver.

Speaking with the media after the race, the Kiwi driver said,

“Overall a very good weekend. I think caution falls at a different time. Like the, first lap, it's just like it is what it is. That was probably the worst circumstance for me on a prime because it was just like allowed everyone on alternates that were probably going to struggle, you know.”

“It's luck of the draw sometimes. But for us salvage what we did because ultimately we did a pitstop more than everyone else. Come back fourth like, and not far off the lead, It's pretty impressive really,” he added

Despite the disadvantage, McLaughlin managed to finish just 8.6 behind the race leader and arguably had the quickest car in during the race.