Kiwis claim Supercars team title
New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin was celebrating a double triumph at the end of the 2019 Supercars season in Newcastle yesterday.
Triple Eight’s Jamie Whincup won the final race of the season, the Newcastle 500, with McLaughlin fourth.
But that was easy enough for McLaughlin and fellow Kiwi Fabian
Coulthard – who was runner-up to
Whincup yesterday – to give DJR
Team Penske’s the teams’ championship.
McLaughlin had already wrapped up the driver’s championship.
Seven-times Supercars champion Whincup won the final race from pole position.
It marked the 118th win of Whincup’s illustrious career and fifth of the season,
but he missed out on the teams’ championship after Triple Eight team-mate Shane van Gisbergen finished seventh.
“I’m really proud of everyone, they fought hard until the end,” Whincup said.
“We didn’t have that much performance at the start of the year, but we chipped away and two wins this weekend for the team gives us confidence going into next year that we can certainly be contenders.
“Hopefully we can take it to them next year, but congratulations to Scotty, he did a great a job.”
Coulthard meanwhile was pleased to help deliver the teams’ title to Shell V-Power Racing.
“We came here with a goal and that was to wrap up the teams’ championship and our results over the weekend have done enough to do that,” Coulthard said.
“Our boys at Shell V-Power Racing did an unbelievable job and gave us both great cars, so it’s a credit to them.”
McLaughlin added he is “so glad to finally be able to celebrate with my team.”