McLaughlin shrugs off any talk of weakness
SCOTT McLaughlin has rubbished a claim that being “mentally weak’’ could cost him the V8 crown with the DJR/ Team Penske flyer declaring “I can’t be too bad in the head’’ after blitzing his way to a Newcastle 500 practice win.
Erasing the demons of the Newcastle meltdown that cost him last year’s crown by going fastest on day one, the Ford fighter went on the attack following a suggestion that a mental weakness could deny him his V8 big dream.
“Look at the Sunday in New Zealand,” McLaughlin said.
“A lot of stuff was going on the night before and I came back and had a crack.
“From this point 12 months ago, which was the lowest point in my career, to come here in the same position, I can’t be too bad in the head.’’
Locked in a one- on- one war with Shane van Gisbergen for the V8 crown, McLaughlin bounced back from a controversial race one defeat in New Zealand to claim a last start win over his Red Bull rival.
The victory came after van Gisbgergen controversially trapped McLaughlin in his car during a bizarre pit- lane conclusion to the first race.
“I got a lot of confidence out of winning that race,’’ McLaughlin said. “It was a great end to the weekend.’’
McLaughlin declared he would go on the attack this weekend after beginning his Newcastle 500 championship mission by beating van Gisbergen by almost half a second.
“Everyone is talking about all the scenarios,’’ McLaughlin said. “But I am just trying to stick to my program. If we can just do what were are doing, no different to what we have done, we should be in a good position at the end.”