Clinical win for flying Scott
KIWI driver Scott McLaughlin was delighted to emulate one of his team owners as he extended his lead in the Supercars championship with a clinical victory in race one of the Ipswich Supersprint yesterday.
Capitalising on his 10th pole position from 15 races this year, McLaughlin was largely untroubled in powering to the chequered flag in ideal conditions at Queensland Raceway.
The victory was the sixth of 2017 for the 24-year-old and his third in four races and also enabled him to give his overall advantage a healthy boost as nearest rival Jamie Whincup had a day to forget.
McLaughlin had led Whincup by just six points but with the sixtime champion crossing the line in 20th the buffer at the top of the standings leapt to 111.
Chaz Mostert finished 3.4 seconds back in second, the Kiwi domination continuing as Shane van Gisbergen charged late to round out the podium after being one of the last to pit.
There was also a strong finish for the third New Zealander in the field, McLaughlin’s team-mate Fabian Coulthard coming home sixth to maintain third in the championship.
Coulthard closed to within 95 points of Whincup, with van Gisbergen lurking a further 49 points back in fourth.
After prevailing at a track that DJR Team Penske boss Dick Johnson is so closely connected to, and doing it in the same No 17 the Australian motorsport legend used, McLaughlin was understandably chuffed.
‘‘It’s great for us ... No 17 around Queensland Raceway has had a few cool things happen to it so it’s cool to add to that.
‘‘It’s been a fantastic day and hopefully we can build on it. [Racing No 17 here] is awesome, it’s a bit of a dream come true.’’
Having earned a berth eight places ahead of Whincup on the starting grid, there was a further boost for McLaughlin when the Red Bull Racing driver copped a five-place penalty for hitting another car during qualifying and forced back to 14th.
That bumped Coulthard, who had lamented an error in qualifying, up one spot to 13th, while van Gisbergen set off from seventh.
Craig Lowndes got the jump on McLaughlin at the start but the Kiwi didn’t need long to hit the front, making a clean pass stick on lap three.
Three-time champion Lowndes opted to pit at the earliest available opportunity, coming in two laps later as the series leader stayed out and maintained a comfortable buffer from Mostert.
McLaughlin eventually came in on lap 11, Mostert following suit, and although he came out behind Lowndes he had few problems getting past again, needing only a lap to make the pass and settle in 10th behind those yet to pit.
Van Gisbergen led the race at that point but it was his countryman in the box seat and by lap 24 GETTY IMAGES McLaughlin officially had the lead back ahead of Tim Slade, Mostert and Lowndes.
From there it was a simple charge to the finish for McLaughlin, his fellow Kiwis two of the standouts in the closing stages.
Van Gisbergen emerged from the pits on lap 21 in 10th and stormed home, Coulthard pitting one lap later to come out in 13th and show similar late speed.
‘‘It was a pretty awesome race,’’ a satisfied van Gisbergen said.