McLaughlin discharged from hospital
New Zealand Supercars star Scott McLaughlin has been cleared of injury after his heavy crash on the Gold Coast.
McLaughlin has been discharged from Gold Coast University Hospital where he was admitted after the spectacular accident in qualifying for Sunday’s second race at the Vodafone Gold Coast 600.
He hit barriers on both sides of the circuit with his Ford Mustang tipped on to its side.
While he passed a concussion test at the track, he was slurring words in subsequent TV interviews and then taken to hospital as a precaution.
‘‘Scott McLaughlin has had further tests including an MRI at the Gold Coast University Hospital and been given the all-clear,’’
Supercars’ medical delegate Dr Carl Le said, but added that McLaughlin would face further tests before being cleared to drive the next round at Sandown in a fortnight.
‘‘He is in good spirits and is heading home with his fiance´ Karly. He will be reviewed at Sandown but is expected to be fit to race there.’’
McLaughlin’s boss Ryan Story praised the medial procedures in place.
‘‘Their advice is something you always take into account. When they’re telling you, with a hit like that, you need to take further checks, you take them,’’ Story told Supercars.com.
‘‘We couldn’t be more grateful for the care that Scott received and we’re very, very fortunate he got the all-clear.’’
Story said McLaughlin, who still leads the championship from Kiwi rival Shane Van Gisbergen who won Sunday’s Gold Coast race, had been watching that race from hospital.
‘‘He sent me a number of photos and messages during the race and while he was in hospital he was in room #17. There’s something special about that number,’’ Story said of it matching McLaughlin’s car number.
‘‘He was watching intently while he was undergoing a bit of those precautionary checks. He was deep into it.’’