SCOTTY’S SUNDAY SPECIAL
MOTORSPORT: Supercars leader Scott McLaughlin made amends for his Saturday frustrations to win Race 20 at the Ipswich SuperSprint.
Pole man McLaughlin led from lights-out to finish in the 65-lap affair, but was given a late scare as Shane van Gisbergen put on a spirited charge.
In taking his 14th win of the season, McLaughlin extended his series lead to a whopping 433 points over Shell V-Power Racing teammate Fabian Coulthard, who had a dog of a day at Queensland Raceway en route to a lowly 11thplace finish.
At the front, McLaughlin carried on from a start he had won, something he failed to do on Saturday when he was outmuscled by Jamie Whincup and Will Davison.
In the closing stages, McLaughlin had a healthy gap, but van Gisbergen was closing at a rate of knots.
Van Gisbergen closed by a second across laps 57, 58 and 59, and was within a second of McLaughlin as nerves began to build across both garages.
However, McLaughlin clung on, albeit by just 0.701s as van Gisbergen sealed second ahead of Chaz Mostert, Whincup and Davison.
McLaughlin’s win also helped seal the Manufacturers’ Championship for Ford.
“That was hard,” an exhausted McLaughlin said post-race.
“Shane just pushed me the whole way, just coming and coming and coming.
“Mine was pushing like a bus or a truck, it just had no turn in it.
“(It was an) awesome battle ... we always have good battles, me and Shane.
“I’m just very lucky I get to drive a car like this. I just want to make the most of it and I felt like that was a great chance to really make the most of it.”