NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Motorsport

Supercars: V8 champ Scott McLaughlin's plans for getting his racing fix until the next season

Peter Williams
By Peter Williams
Bay of Plenty Times·
3 Dec, 2018 04:03 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

V8 Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin will get his racing fix out of go-karts in his off-season. Photo / Getty Images

V8 Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin will get his racing fix out of go-karts in his off-season. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When you're the V8 Supercars champion at the age of 25, there's nothing you want more than to race.

The problem is the season finishes in November, there's no testing till February and the new season doesn't start till March. So what does Scott McLaughlin do to get his fix in the off season? He goes back to where it all started.

"It's a long time not driving so I'm going to get my go-kart out a few times in the off season and do some races. It's more for fun, but it's also good for the soul."

McLaughlin's first taste of a life behind a steering wheel came in karts in Hamilton as a 7-year-old. Now with him due to spend some time with his parents at Mount Maunganui over the holidays, he's looking forward to getting back to the machines which he raced well into his teens.

But a few spins in a kart in the next few weeks is a long way from the heady heights he's reached during 2018. After some tense moments in his battles with arch rival Shane van Gisbergen during the last two rounds at Pukekohe and Newcastle, McLaughlin drove a consistently steady race on the final day of the championship around the streets of Newcastle to finish second behind David Reynolds and take the title by 71 points from van Gisbergen.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"You've worked for it your whole life so you've always got that monkey on your back waiting for it to come. Eventually you have got it done, and that's the cool thing about it. I can go into next season and there won't be as much pressure," he says.

"There's still pressure to win but it's a lot less stress for me about winning one (championship) because it's done. I've won it. Now I can into next season a bit more relaxed and focus on a few other things and that's going to be the most life-changing thing for me."

The last race at Newcastle was reminiscent of 2017. That time he took a 78-point lead into the final afternoon, had a few tangles, a penalty or three and lost the championship to Jamie Whincup. So the experience of 12 months earlier was crucial this year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There was quite a bit of déjà vu about last year. It was very nerve-racking especially for me and my family and it was full-on. It was about trying to keep focus. It's very easy to lose focus around a street circuit because there's so many big screens you can look at and see what's going on with everyone. It's very cool, but you have to keep focus."

When the Supercars held their annual prizegiving in Sydney eights days after the final race, McLaughlin had a little extra surprise. Not only did he collect the trophy for the championship itself, but he was also named the most popular driver, as voted for by the fans.

"That was cool, a bit surprising, a proud moment for me. You always try to look after the fans as much as you can and give them as much time as you can without taking away what you normally do at the track and it's very cool that they voted for me."

In 2019 McLaughlin will not only be a be a marked man as the defending champion, he'll also be in a new car. Team DJR Penske, who run the Shell V-Power team are moving from Falcons to Mustangs for the new season.

Discover more

Sport|motorsport

Scott McLaughlin and his biggest fans

02 Nov 04:00 PM
Motorsport

V8 champ Scott McLaughlin stuns fans in Te Awamutu

05 Dec 08:00 PM

"We've done a couple of test days already and it feels really good. I think it'll be a good thing for the (Supercars) category, but it's also great for Ford fans.

"I wouldn't say it's a huge amount different, but it's probably a bit more refined. It's very exciting. It's given us a chance for the group at Penske to have an original car to build something from scratch and that's exciting."

But the new car will not mean a change of number. He's inherited the legacy of the famous number 17 used by the legendary Dick Johnstone - the DJ of DJR(acing) - and will keep that next year in the Mustang.

"I don't see any reason to go with number 1. We might do it at test days but as soon as racing comes around it'll be normal. Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP doesn't run number 1 and the Nascar champions don't either."

The first races for 2019 are at Adelaide on March 2 and 3. Before then some summer days in the Mount beckon.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

BasketballUpdated

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM
Sport

Herald Hat-trick sports quiz: Wednesday July 9

08 Jul 05:55 PM
New Zealand|wellington

‘Give it our all’: How Napier City Rovers' season hangs on crucial matches ahead

08 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM

Each player had to pay $5000 to feature at the U19 World Cup in Switzerland.

Herald Hat-trick sports quiz: Wednesday July 9

Herald Hat-trick sports quiz: Wednesday July 9

08 Jul 05:55 PM
‘Give it our all’: How Napier City Rovers' season hangs on crucial matches ahead

‘Give it our all’: How Napier City Rovers' season hangs on crucial matches ahead

08 Jul 05:00 PM
'Thrives on wet tracks': Belardo Boy claims 11th career win

'Thrives on wet tracks': Belardo Boy claims 11th career win

08 Jul 04:59 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP