McLaughlin on front row for last Great Race
Three New Zealand drivers are in the top eight spots on the grid for today’s Bathurst 1000. David Long reports.
THE stage is set for Scott McLaughlin to bow out at the top by conquering Mt Panorama for the final time.
The Kiwi driver will be on the front row today after setting the second fastest time in yesterday’s top-10 shootout for the Bathurst 1000, behind Cameron Waters.
Starting on the front row in a race that goes for six hours doesn’t give a driver that much of an advantage, but it does indicate that McLaughlin and his codriver, Tim Slade, are in a quick car. So if they can keep it pointing the right direction today, McLaughlin could be set for an emotional farewell.
Reports in Australia this weekend have said DJR-Team Penske are already looking at who to pick up as a replacement for McLaughlin next season, while his current Kiwi teammate, Fabian Coulthard, could be heading to the smaller budget Matt Stone Racing next year.
McLaughlin will fly to the United States tomorrow morning to race in the final IndyCar round of the season in Florida.
He will take part in that for Penske Racing – also rumoured to be quitting Supercars next season.
The Kiwi has taken over from Craig Lowndes as the face of Supercars and it will be a struggle for the category to retain its current level of popularity with him gone.
However, the reality is that McLaughlin has outgrown Supercars. He has already achieved everything he could have ever wished for and by leaving at the age of 27, he gives himself time to conquer other motor racing categories.
Lee Holdsworth was the surprise holder of the provisional pole, being the quickest in Friday’s qualifying. However, that was largely because a shower hit the Mt Panorama circuit during the final few minutes of the session.
Nick Percat was the first to go in the shootout, having been the 10th quickest in qualifying, and set a time of 2min 04.24sec.
James Courtney was slower, but Chaz Mostert produced a time of 2:04.01 to set a new fastest time.
After Anton de Pasquale, Coulthard was the first Kiwi to do a hot lap, but never looked like eclipsing Mostert’s time.
The veteran Jamie Whincup was looking good, but lost control of his Holden at the Chase and went onto the grass.
Waters, who has always loomed as one of the genuine contenders to win today, set a best time of 2:03.56, which was the fastest ever in a shootout.
McLaughlin was next and was slower than Waters over the first two sectors and lost further time over the final one for a lap of 2:04.00.
Kiwi flyer Shane van Gisbergen was the penultimate driver to tackle Mt Panorama and could only produce a time of 2:04.45.
Holdsworth was last to go, hoping to prove Friday’s result wasn’t a fluke, but his time of 2:04.67 suggested it probably was.
So as it’s turned out, Waters is on pole, McLaughlin joins him on the front row, van Gisbergen will start the great race in fifth position on the grid, and Coulthard will be in the eighth spot.
It was a quieter day for the two other Kiwis racing at this weekend’s Bathurst 1000.
Andre Heimgartner and Chris Pither both missed out on the shootout, with Heimgartner 14th fastest in Friday’s qualifying, while Chris Pither was a lowly 23rd.
Heimgartner’s Ford Mustang has been competitive this year and although he will be beginning the race midway down the starting grid, he is in with an outside chance of finishing on the podium.
However, it’s been a tough season for Pither in his Team Sydney Holden Commodore and it would take a bizarre set of circumstances for the Palmerston North driver to end up the race winner.