MCLAUGHLIN ’S CHAMPIONSHIP TRENDLINE
1st
2
3
5
1
1
1
2018
2019
2020
8
10th
10
20th
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Garry Rogers Motorsport DJR Team Penske
MCLAUGHLIN’S UPWARDS TREND
YEAR
POSITION
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
10th 5th 8th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
TEAM
Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport DJR Team Penske DJR Team Penske DJR Team Penske DJR Team Penske
CAR
Holden VF Commodore Volvo Polestar S60 Volvo Polestar S60 Volvo Polestar S60 Ford FG X Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Ford Mustang Ford Mustang McLaughlin scored 18 wins in 2019, a then record for most wins in a season.
significant gap over the Tickford Racing Mustangs, driven by four race-winning drivers. The angst reached fever pitch post-Bathurst, when McLaughlin and Prémat’s win was overshadowed by the team orders given to Coulthard and Tony D’Alberto to slow the pack under a late safety car. Despite the penalty of a $250,000 fine, the loss of 300 teams’ championship points and the relegation of Coulthard and D’Alberto to last place, some rivals insisted McLaughlin and Prémat should’ve been stripped of the win. Then, a technical infringement led to a $30,000 fine, the loss of the Bathurst pole position and a grid penalty at Sandown. “I believe we won it fair and square... it just sucks we have to deal with all this stuff,” he said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done as a team. There’s always conjecture, and basically I think the majority of the people are upset about our year. And they have been from the start when we started winning. “We push on as a team. I’m proud of what we’ve done. I’m proud of winning Bathurst and I’m proud of winning the championship. “Off-track it’s been political. We’re just going to have to push on and fight them off, because I think we’ve fought off a lot this year. And I think we’ve done a good job to stay together as a team.” The high of the Bathurst win was soon followed by the low of the huge qualifying crash at the Gold Coast 600, which ruled he and Prémat out of Race 27 and destroyed chassis DJRTP 06, the only Mustang to start the season that hadn’t been upgraded from a previousspec Falcon FG X, forcing DJR Team Penske into a newcar build for Sandown. For a season of such frequent highs, there were some hefty on and off track lows.
THE FUTURE
“I’M A LUCKY GUY DRIVING A COOL CAR AND AM JUST A PROUD NEW ZEALANDER TRYING TO DO MY THING.” – SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
McLaughlin scored his third championship win in a row in 2020, winning 13 races in a COVID-interrupted season. McLaughlin had once again gotten the better of Triple Eight duo van Gisbergen and Whincup. With championship and Bathurst success, McLaughlin headed to the IndyCar Series with Team Penske in 2021. After claiming Rookie of the Year honours in the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series, McLaughlin scored his first race win in the category at the 2022 season opener. In many ways McLaughlin’s career path mirrors that of Ambrose. Both became Ford heroes with a run of championship success, defeating the then dominant Holden teams in the process. And after claiming consecutive titles, they both ventured to North America. Ambrose made a brief return to Supercars in the formative stages of the Dick Johnson Racing/DJR Team Penske union. It remains to be seen whether McLaughlin will return having established himself in North America. Even if he doesn’t, McLaughlin’s Supercars results put him amongst the all-time greats of Australian touring cars. SUPERCAR XTRA
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