Mclaughlin’s ‘heart hurts’ after high-speed crash

Kiwi Bathurst winner Scott Mclaughlin has walked away from a high speed crash at the Gold Coast 600 yesterday.

His hopes of wrapping up the Supercars championship yesterday were in tatters after he crashed his Ford in qualifying and was ruled out of the Gold Coast 600’s final race.

The 20-minute session ended under a red flag after Mclaughlin’s Mustang hit the inside kerb at 140kmh at the tough concrete wall-lined street circuit and ended up on its side on turn four.

Remarkably, Shane van Gisbergen, Mclaughlin’s main rival for the Supercars title, stopped his Holden and raced over to help the Ford star out of his badly damaged vehicle.

Mclaughlin was second fastest for the top 10 shootout, but his weekend after his Mustang was rated a writeoff when it arrived in the team garage.

Mclaughlin was monitored at the track’s medical centre where he received a concussion test but was given a clean bill of health.

He had hoped to wrap up back-to-back championships yesterday but his withdrawal now throws the title door open for van Gisbergen.

‘‘My heart is hurting but that’s it. I am just terribly sorry for everyone at the team,’’ Mclaughlin said.

‘‘We were practising for the shootout and I just clipped the concrete wall, I had not done it all week. It [crash] was a big one. It surprised me.

‘‘By the time I was on my side I was like ‘gees’; it all happened real quick. I will give myself a clip over the ear.

‘‘I am terribly sorry but I want to thank Shane for pulling up and seeing if I was all right.’’

Van Gisbergen said: ‘‘It’s not a good feeling coming around the corner and seeing one of your mates on his side.

‘‘I helped him out but the medical team were there fast. He was pretty shaken but he will be fine.

‘‘It was irrelevant who it was when I first saw it. You would do it for anyone in the field – it was shocking.’’