Giving Falcon a fitting last lap
SCOTT McLaughlin will put his Supercars championship ambitions aside this weekend in an all- or- nothing bid to send the Ford Falcon out a winner in its final Bathurst 1000.
Following an opening day of practice ruined by rain at Mount Panorama, McLaughlin declared he would not sacrifice his lifelong dream of winning the Bathurst 1000 by nursing his car around the iconic track and protecting his championship position.
The DJR/ Team Penske star heads into Sunday’s 300- point race trailing Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver Shane van Gisbergen by 55 points in the championship fight.
“The championship is in the back of my mind but I want to win my first Bathurst,’’ McLaughlin said.
“This is a special race and something I have been dreaming about my whole life. If there is a win up for grabs then we will be having a crack.’’
Ford filled the first four places in practice yesterday, the perfect start to the manufacturer’s attempt to give the Falcon one last Bathurst 1000 win before the car is retired from Supercars at season’s end.
McLaughlin finished third behind Tickford Racing rookie Richie Stanaway and Tony D’Alberto, with Chaz Mostert in fourth.
With the Mustang set to replace the iconic Australian car after 51 years at Bathurst, McLaughlin said he wanted to send the Falcon out with a final win over age- old enemy the Commodore.
“It has been a massive part of the history of my team,’’ McLaughlin said.
“The Falcon has been a big part of the team and certainly from our side of the family it is quite sad to see the Falcon go. But it is also very exciting with what is ahead because they are bringing in a very cool car.’’
The two all- driver sessions and one co- driver only session were all marred by heavy rain that stopped the field from running on slick tyres.
While most drivers wrote the day off as a ruin, McLaughlin claimed he picked up some useful intel for his Bathurst bid.
“It was nice for us to get a bit of a read because we have actually been lost with tyre pressures,’’ McLaughlin said.