Relaxed McLaughlin in command Aussies hit NZ’s roads
Kiwi says he has the experience to push for title
Kiwi Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin took control of the championship this time last season but wasn’t able to convert it into a title. A year on he is better equipped to take advantage of the situation.
The Shell V-Power racer took top spot in the standings at the most recent round at Phillip Island a fortnight ago and heads to this weekend’s round at Barbagallo Raceway near Perth knowing history is on his side.
After a slow start to the 2017 championship McLaughlin dominated this part of the schedule from Phillip Island through until the endurance part of the season. That included a dominant weekend out west.
Having made a better start to this season and with the benefit of last year’s experience the Ford driver feels he’s in a better place.
“I know what to do now,” McLaughlin told the Weekend Herald. “This time last year I hadn’t led the championship before and now I know what to do with the lead, be consistent and that. I feel 10 years older.
“I feel more calm than I did this Driver to beat: Scott McLaughlin — you can’t ignore his dominance there last year and his current form
Dark horse: Fabian Coulthard — he has been unlucky rather than off the pace so far
Under pressure: Jamie Whincup — has had two uncharacteristically bad rounds and can ill-afford another
time last year and that I think that bodes well hopefully for the rest of the year.”
Much of the talk through the opening rounds of this year’s championship was the performance of the new model ZB Holden Commodore.
The general feeling in pit lane was that the Holden had a bit of an advantage over their rivals.
But McLaughlin’s double victory at Phillip Island, plus the improved speed of the Nissan Altima, has shown the championship is wide open.
“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and we obviously went to a track at Phillip Island where we were very strong,” McLaughlin said.
“We knew that going in and that gave us a bit of confidence. I still think the Commodore has the edge in certain areas but it is important for us to focus on what we are good at.
“We have been working hard. If we can be better than them in the places of their weaknesses and match them Kiwi Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin ScottMcLaughlin ............... 947 DavidReynolds .................. 887 Shane van Gisbergen . . . . . . . . . . . 849 CraigLowndes ................... 813 JamieWhincup .................. 805
in their strengths then obviously we are going to be ahead.”
The short Barbagallo track is notoriously hard on tyres and with so many right-hand corners the left side of the car comes under a lot of stress.
McLaughlin thinks his package should be well-suited to deal with that.
“We have a lot of confidence coming here with the championship lead but we know we will have our work cut out to keep it.
“We have won two races and we come here knowing we have good tyre life which is what we’ll need this weekend.”
This weekend also sees the return of the Formula 1-style qualifying structure with drivers advancing to different stages of qualifying.
McLaughlin has learned from the debut of the format at Tasmania earlier in the season.
“Practice matters a lot more,” he said. “It is a matter of getting things worked out quickly for your qualifying car and we should be okay.
“I am excited about it — I love the new format.” Toyota 86 Championship front runners CareVets Racing will run two rookies in next summer’s championship with scholarships handed out to a couple of promising young drivers. Formula First graduate Arran Crichton and the world’s youngest Formula 1600 champion (formerly Formula Ford) Callum Hedge have been handed drives. Nissan Motorsport boss Todd Kelly believes there is time to develop a GT-R in time for the next Supercars season if Nissan opts to go down that route. Kelly’s team has run Nissan Altimas over the last six years but the deal expires at the end of 2018. With Ford announcing they will introduce the Mustang from next year speculation has done the rounds about Nissan following suit with their own two-door car. Kelly said talks were ongoing and no time limit was in place. He did insist that the four-car team will be on the grid next year regardless of Nissan’s decision. Leading Australian rally drivers are voting with their feet and making the move across this side of the Tasman to further their careers.
Reigning Australian champion Nathan Quinn will make his New Zealand Rally Championship debut this weekend at the International Rally of Whangarei having done a deal to run the Neil Allport-backed Ford Fiesta R5.
Quinn is adamant there are a number of reasons why the grass looks greener in New Zealand.
“I think one of the big things is just the availability of cars in New Zealand,” he said. “They are exciting and good-looking cars.
“The roads — rallying over there is a lot smoother and a lot easier on the car than it is here.”