"He's at the top of his game at the moment and he's doing everything right and being rewarded for it.
"We just have to knuckle down and work harder. We can beat him but everything has to line up. But, yeah, it's tough. It's great for the whole team that we're doing so well and a credit to all their hard work."
Coulthard has made many trips to Pukekohe over the years and is keen to get a good result not just for himself at the New Zealand track, but also to grab points.
"I'd like to get a result here [at Pukekohe] as it's somehow escaped me. I had good success in Formula Ford and Carrera Cup here, but not so lucky in a Supercar, so I'm looking forward to getting back here and racing in front of a big home crowd and putting on a good show.
"The great thing is that there are five of us [Kiwis in the field] so fans don't necessarily have to support just me, but they should support one of us. It's awesome to race in front of such a passionate crowd."
The Triple Eight garage are also facing their own challenges trying to peg back McLaughlin. When a seven-time series champion struggles to keep up, you know there are a few people scratching their heads.
Red Bull Holden Racing pilot Jamie Whincup and teammate Shane van Gisbergen are fifth and fourth respectively in the championship.
Whincup is never one to walk away from a tough fight and is looking forward to having another go at the Shell V Power racer.
"This season has been the craziest I think I've ever had. We've been at the top, the bottom and everywhere in between. It's sure been a rollercoaster," said Whincup.
"We're in a good place, though, and are competitive. We're working hard and it's our responsibility to step up and take the race to them [DJR Team Penske].
"I've been doing this for 13 years now and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.
"It keeps me hungry and excited to try and get back to the front. To be honest, I need these challenges and for it to be spiced up a bit.
"Look, they [Penske] are doing a great job. They've got a good driver, good engineers, well-resourced and a very, very good combination. But, hey, they bleed and they're beatable.
"We've been able to get a couple of wins this year but we need to improve the car and get a bit more speed," said Whincup.
The Pukekohe round is special to not only the drivers but Kiwi motorsport fans in general. Over the weekend, teams and drivers will be competing for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, in honour of the Kiwi driver who contested the championship for many years but sadly succumbed to cancer in 2011 aged 35 while at the top of his game.
"We all want to come over here and put our name on that trophy."
