Motorsport: Scott McLaughlin on track for Supercars title repeat

Name: ANZ Sports Scene: Scott McLaughlin one win away from making history
Uploaded: 2019-09-13T14:24:38+12:00
Duration: 104 s
Description: We caught up with kiwi supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen ahead of the Auckland V8 Super sprints at Pukekohe

NZ Herald

12 Sep, 2019 05:00 PM3 mins to read

We caught up with kiwi supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen ahead of the Auckland V8 Super sprints at Pukekohe

Kiwi Scott McLaughlin is on track for back-to-back Supercars championships and on the cusp of achieving the record for most wins in a single season.

One victory at Pukekohe this weekend will take McLaughlin past Craig Lowndes' 1996 record of 16, and bring the youngster's career total to 42.

"It has certainly been a pretty wild ride throughout the years to this point," he said.

"[I'm] proud that I have been able to sort of put myself in a position to be in the best team and now be able to compete for wins every week."

As for the 100-round milestone?

"It's been hard work on a lot of people's end," McLaughlin said.

"In the grand scheme of things, it's just a number but it's still a proud moment and hopefully we can achieve a lot more in the sport.

"I've just got to enjoy this moment while I can because one day I'm going to be the older guy."

Meanwhile, Supercars veteran Rick Kelly is "not scared or nervous" about approaching the end of his career as he heads into his 250th round start at the ITM Auckland SuperSprint.

The 36-year-old has been a regular on the grid from 2002 and has accumulated an enviable list of achievements, headlined by two Bathurst 1000 victories and the 2006 championship.

Now the most experienced driver in the field, Kelly is in the middle of a tough season aboard his Castrol-backed Nissan Altima, and is 17th in the standings.

A winner as recently as May 2018 at Winton — a result that broke a seven-year drought — Kelly plans to race next year and is relaxed about the future.

"I don't have a timeline in mind and I'm pretty open about that as well," the Altima driver told Supercars.com.

"I mean it could be in the near future where I stop driving full-time and it could be in many years' time.

"I'm not scared of that approaching, whether it is in the short or medium term for me.

"It could be at the end of next year, it could be four or five years' time.

"The thing is, the category changes so rapidly. I can't predict what the future holds and I'm not scared or nervous about it.

"I'm doing the best I can while the opportunity is there."

Kelly, who has had a long-term relationship with Castrol, noted the importance commercial factors play in the length of a driver's tenure.

"We have seen in the past, having that commercial support behind you is largely what keeps you on the track and we saw that even with Garth [Tander] and Craig [Lowndes]," he said.

"There's always so many external influences that help you decide when you have to retire so for me I have the support of Castrol and that's a big thing."

Penrite Racing has announced a 10-year contract with star David Reynolds, locking the driver in through to the end of 2029.

Trumpeted as a "history-making deal" by the squad, it dramatically ends recent speculation about the 34-year-old's future with the team.

Although always expected to remain with the squad he has helped build into a powerhouse since joining in 2016, delays in finalising terms raised questions over the partnership. While details have not been released, a 10-year term will take Reynolds through until he's 44 — five years older than the field's oldest driver James Courtney.