Mclaughlin’s star on the rise
Revelling to the Red Hot Chili Peppers after securing maximum Supercars points in the opening round, Scott Mclaughlin could have been another partygoer.
Mclaughlin made the perfect start to his 2018 title defence, winning both races at the Adelaide street circuit to complete a dream debut in the newly built Ford Mustang for him and DJR Team Penske.
The 25-year-old celebrated the result by joining the masses for the Adelaide 500 afterparty, singing along to the American rock legends, metres away from where he delivered a major statement to his rivals.
Mclaughlin holds the Supercar silverware and anyone with visions of seizing it this season will have to outduel him and his lightning-quick car consistently through the year.
While he blended into the crowd at the concert, the Kiwi driver is standing out in Supercars.
His star is very much on the rise after holding off compatriot Shane van Gisbergen to win his first Supercars championship at Newcastle in November. Two first place finishes in the opening Adelaide round only add to that.
He will look to continue his golden start to the year in the second round, the Melbourne 400, which gets under way today with practice sessions and qualifying.
Brisbane-based Mclaughlin, who grew up in Hamilton before moving to Australia with his family when he was nine in 2003, knows the media spotlight is shining brightly on him. He’s a big deal in Australia and is garnering greater attention in his homeland.
He’s even got a new book out,
Road to Redemption, where he chronicles his championship journey in 2018, having let the title slip from his grasp in a controversial finish to 2017.
His parents, Wayne and Diane, are back living in Mount Maunganui and despite having spent most his life across the ditch, Mclaughlin is a staunch New Zealander.
‘‘I’m just lucky I get to race a race car. It’s a hobby that’s turned into a profession,’’ he told Stuff.
‘‘Even though I sound kind of Aussie, I’m always a New Zealander at heart and go for the All Blacks when they play the Wallabies.’’
Mclaughlin isn’t in close contact with any other New Zealand sports people, but does communicate with star Kiwi driver Scott Dixon, the defending Indycar champion and five-time winner.
Much has been made of Mclaughlin and van Gisbergen’s feud last year at their home circuit in Pukekohe. Having won the opening race, van Gisbergen parked his Holden up close to the side of Mclaughlin’s Ford, which made it difficult for him to get out.
Mclaughlin slated van Gisbergen at the post-race press conference and admitted he took satisfaction from hearing his fellow Kiwi booed by the Auckland petrolheads.
The situation between the duo had improved, but when it came to racing, van Gisbergen was an opponent he wanted to beat.
‘‘We were good straight away [at Pukekohe]. I just called him out on it.
‘‘I like the guy. If I go to a bar and he’s there we’ll have a beer and a chat, but we’re also competitive. We’re rivals. It’s just how it is.
‘‘We battle hard for our respective teams and we always shake hands after it.’’
Mclaughlin and van Gisbergen took it to the Australians last year, finishing one-two in the standings. It hasn’t been a happy time for Australian sport fans over the past year and Mclaughlin said they enjoyed adding to their misery.
For a Kiwi to capture the Australian-based Supercars title was deeply rewarding.
‘‘To fly the flag and have a crack at them is pretty awesome. It’s a good competitive rivalry [with van Gisbergen], but it’s great for New Zealand to have people competing at the highest level in motorsport.’’
Heading into 2019 as a firsttime champion, Mclaughlin is aware every driver wants to knock him off his perch.
He did a lot of mental skills work with sports psychologist Emma Murray last year, which proved crucial in overcoming his demons from 2017, where he squandered a 78-point championship lead on the final race of the year, being stung with three penalties.
Mclaughlin hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary over the offseason to handle the expectation of being reigning champion.
‘‘I put a lot of pressure on myself more than anything.
‘‘I didn’t really feel much of a difference going from the hunter to the hunted. I just knew if I executed as well as we did [in Adelaide] and drove a really good race, we’d be there or there abouts. If I do my job, then the rest will follow.’’
Life is good for Mclaughlin, but he knows how quickly the situation can unravel in motorsport.
For a Waikato kid, who grew up idolising four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy, there’s still plenty of moments where he has to digest how far he’s come in a short time.
‘‘I’m absolutely living the dream. Me and my family worked hard to get to this position.
‘‘Supercars was always the goal, so we’ve ticked that box. Now it’s just a matter of ticking a few more boxes and see where life takes us.’’
*The writer travelled to Adelaide courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission