Motorsport: McLaughlin caught between loyalty and opportunity

Scott McLaughlin during the V8 Supercars Perth SuperSprint at Barbagallo Raceway. Photo / Getty Images

In-demand Supercars star Scott McLaughlin admits he's torn between loyalty and opportunity as he considers whether to leave Garry Rogers Motorsport next season.

The Kiwi ace on Wednesday revealed DJR Team Penske has approached him about joining the burgeoning outfit, but that "nothing serious" had been put in place.

McLaughlin said Volvo's decision to cut ties with GRM in 2017 had forced him to think about his future and study his options before his contract expires at year's end.

"I haven't signed myself anywhere, I haven't done anything," he told supercars.com.au.

"I've just been trying to find the pros and cons of each place, and at the moment, I've been very happy at Garry's, so I just have to weigh everything up.

"At the end of the day, I'm just trying to get the best deal for me on the table and be comfortable where I'm going."

The 22-year-old said Rogers, whom he described as a friend and role model, gave him a start in the championship and that he would love to pay him back with a title this year.

Loyalty was a major thing in his mind, but so was opportunity.

"Garry's been good to me and just because one bad thing's happened to the team, I'm not going to throw the toys out of the cot and go," McLaughlin added.

"It's a tough thing.

"For me, it's about trying to understand where my team's going first before I jump the gun and just go to a team that's a complete unknown; that could be Penske, that could be anyone else.

"I feel like I have a big card to play, and I feel like I just have to take my time with it and make sure I choose the right option. But at this point in time, it's staying with Garry."

A move to DJR Team Penske would likely see him pair with Fabian Coulthard and Scott Pye lose his seat, with high-profile American owner Roger Penske ruling out expanding to three cars next season.