He's learning to speak more slowly - but otherwise Scott McLaughlin is settling nicely into life in the USA.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
After winning three straight Supercars titles, New Zealand driver has moved stateside to join countryman Scott Dixon in the open-wheel IndyCar series next year.
McLaughlin shifted to the US from his Australian base in late October.
While the move had been a breeze for his American wife Karly, the 27-year-old admitted there had been some challenges for him.
"I've got to slow down my speaking a little bit. They think I speak too fast, which makes communication a little bit hard, especially with my mechanics and stuff.
"But it's been really good. It was a good thing that we came over here so early, just to get an idea with the way of life and not be the unknown guy. Everyone knows who I am [already]."
McLaughlin had found a way to make his adjustment to life in the US a little easier.
A couple of weeks after his arrival, he started the "Scott Learns America" hashtag on Twitter.
The hashtag had allowed Americans to give him advice or make recommendations on all manner of things.
"The Americans get right amongst Twitter and use it for a lot of communication so I decided I would get on board as well.
"The hashtag has basically been to help me get through America and learn where the best places to eat are and all that sort of stuff.
"It's a very different way a life over here in regards to all that but it's cool learning it all that's for sure."
Learning in life, and on the race track.
With the new season starting in March, and McLaughlin not having raced open-wheelers for many years, he had a lot to get his head around.
McLaughlin said he and his new colleagues at Team Penske were doing as much as they could to be ready.
"We'll really get into it early January. We've got about three or four test days that are planned and then we'll head to round one.
"It's an opportunity for me because I've driven at [St Petersbug], having done the last round there this season.
"It's a nice feeling as a driver heading to a place where you've been before, especially in a car that's not so foreign anymore...
"I certainly think we've made really good progress with myself and how to drive the car but I've still a long way to go to be right up the front. There's little things I'm doing right but there's plenty of stuff that I'm doing wrong as well."
There had, though, been a vote of his confidence from Team Penske.
McLaughlin has been given the No 3 for his debut IndyCar season, the same number used by two of the team's most successful drivers in the series.
Both Rick Mears, one of just three drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves used No 3 during their time with Penske.
McLaughlin said everyone he had dealt with so far in a racing sense were also well aware of the enormous success he had already achieved.
"I'm lucky that's Scott Dixon's made Kiwis sound pretty good.
"But yeah, everyone got a lot of respect for me and what I've done in my racing career to date. That's a good feeling as a driver to have people regard what you've done at a high level. They don't see it as any small feat.
"The credibility that we have with the Supercars series is very high throughout the international ranks of world motorsport."
That included Dixon, the New Zealander who this year clinched his sixth IndyCar crown with Chip Ganassi Racing.
McLaughlin admitted, though, that it would be an interesting dynamic between the two Kiwis once the season started.
"We have texted once or twice and we'll catch up when the season starts with testing and stuff.
"To be honest, our teams are each others biggest rivals. It might be a bit hostile between the two teams, except for me and Scott, I guess."
