Scott McLaughlin shares unseen footage of Roger Penske's ode to the NFL during IndyCar's Road America race

IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin shared behind-the-scenes footage from IndyCar's Road America race weekend, including his boss and series owner, Roger Penske, talking highly about the NFL. The 88-year-old was in conversation with NFL player Josh Jacobs.

The Green Bay Packers running back was IndyCar's guest at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on June 22. He graced the Fastest Seat in Sport to lead the 27-driver field to green at the iconic 4.048-mile circuit.

Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin, who finished P12 in the race, shared unseen footage from that day in a recent YouTube VLOG. The video included his and Roger Penske's interactions with Jacobs, a promising candidate for Offensive Player of the Year in 2025.

"The NFL, I mean, you gotta hand it to them. I know there's always noise on certain things, but you know, it's a powerhouse," Penske told Jacobs [9:46 onwards]. "Be able to play at the highest level, the way you guys do in that sport, is amazing for me. And the guys just get bigger and bigger."

The Team Penske owner's last statement resonated with Jacobs, who hilariously replied:

"Oh my god, bigger and faster! 'I'm like, 'How you 300 pounds and running at the same speed?'"

Roger Penske's ties with the NFL go back to the early 2000s. The automotive maestro was pivotal in getting the city of Detroit a Super Bowl for the second time, - Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in 2006. However, the Detroit Lions have yet to win the big game.

Roger Penske's partnership with the NFL and MLB will birth the Arlington GP in 2026

Roger Penske with Donald Trump at the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 - Source: Getty

IndyCar took a monumental step towards its growth in October 2024. Series owner Roger Penske's company, Penske Entertainment, partnered with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the MLB's Texas Rangers, to announce a new race from 2026 onwards - the Arlington Grand Prix.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has trusted Penske from the time he got Detroit to host its second Super Bowl in 2006. That had, in turn, helped the Cowboys get hosting rights for the 2011 Super Bowl. In an interview with AP during the Arlington GP announcement in October 2024, Jones said:

"Bottom line is that Roger has really been a model for me in terms of how he has taken competitive racing and nailed that into an economic scenario that works. He is my sports man. He changed that mentality of needing (the NFL) to go where you can have sunshine and the ocean. He changed that concept and was very effective."

The 2.73-mile Arlington GP street circuit will feature the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. IndyCar is hoping to make the race a "tent-pole event," alongside classic races like the Long Beach GP.

Edited by Tushar Bahl