Scott cuts to the chase
SCOTT McLaughlin is not scared of being the hunter.
Roughly 24 hours after the high of driving the fastest Supercars lap in Bathurst history, the Ford star’s fortunes deserted him with an engine failure that has turned the 2017 championship on its head. A good result at Bathurst would have solidified his chances of a maiden title.
Instead, he is suddenly third and 97 points off the lead heading into the final three rounds of the year. But the way McLaughlin sees it, he has overhauled a lead before. He can do it again.
“Oh look I certainly know how to do it because we have chased a lot at the start of the year and we ended up in front so I know how to come back,” he told the Bulletin.
“We have had pretty good pace on those around us all year so I think it’s important that we put our heads down and just try to win some races.”
The driver of the No.17 Falcon synonymous with his team boss Dick Johnson felt obliged to hide the disappointment of his Bathurst breakdown at the time and was spotted by television cameras consoling members of his crew in the garage.
“(As a driver) you are kind of like a captain ways,” he said.
“Absolutely deep down it was cutting me up but you have got to be a strong suit for the team and try to keep their spirits up.
“It was pretty hard on the drive home, you are always in some thinking about it but it was one of those deals where if I had crashed the car myself, I probably would have been even more disappointed.
“Unfortunately it was a mechanical failure and the guys, they beat themselves up about it.
“But at the end of the day it was just a freak accident.
“We have had some great engines all year and unfortunately on the biggest race of the year we just had a slight issue.”
McLaughlin’s championship fightback starts this weekend on the Gold Coast, where a maximum of 300 points are up for grabs.
Key to his chances on the tight and twisty Surfers Paradise street circuit is continuing his sublime qualifying form.
The 24-year-old has secured pole position for 14 of 20 races this season.
His teammate and championship leader Fabian Coulthard has comparison.
“If we can qualify up the front it makes your job a lot easier,” he said.
McLaughlin has a good track record in the city where he grew up attending Saint Stephen’s College, having been on the podium in both Gold Coast 600 races last year.
He delivered one of the highlights of the 2016 event with an out-of-control overtake on Mark Winterbottom on his way to third place in the Sunday race.
After this weekend, Supercars will head to Auckland and Newcastle to round out the season. just one by