Scott McLaughlin has had an interesting journey to become the reigning Virgin Australia Supercars Champion. The DJR Team Penske 2018 title-winner made his racing debut at eight, progressing through the NZ and Australian Karting scenes before being given a test in a Stone Brothers Racing Supercar.
The Stones spotted the potential in the young McLaughlin, and took the decision to promote him straight into the 2010 Supercars Dunlop series at just 16 years' of age.
The 2012 season served as a breakout year for McLaughlin as he competed in – and wo n – both the Supercars Dunlop Series in Australia and the New Zealand V8 Super Tourer series. He also made his “main-game” Supercar debut the same year, partnering Jonathon Webb at Tekno in both the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
It was at the 2012 Sydney 500 where McLaughlin got his “big break,” replacing the ill Alex Premat at Garry Rogers Motorsport (GMR) for the final race of the season. He finished in 17th place after starting at the rear of the grid, and it was this performance that earned McLaughlin a full-time drive at GRM for the 2013 season.
McLaughlin went onto become the youngest ever winner of a Supercars race when he won at Pukekohe Park Raceway in front of an adoring home crowd, ending the year 10th in the Championship to win the Mike Kable Young Gun Award that recognizes the series Rookie of the Year.
The 2014 season brought the new challenge of a manufacturer switch, as GRM represented Volvo's return to Australian motorsport. McLaughlin began the season in sensational style, qualifying on the front row at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, claiming a memorable second behind Craig Lowndes on the Saturday after an intense battle with six-time Champion Jamie Whincup. The season only got better from there, with five race wins, multiple podium finishes and 10 pole positions, topped off with the Barry Sheene Medal for Supercars' best and fairest driver.
Biography
Scott McLaughlin has had an interesting journey to become the reigning Virgin Australia Supercars Champion. The DJR Team Penske 2018 title-winner made his racing debut at eight, progressing through the NZ and Australian Karting scenes before being given a test in a Stone Brothers Racing Supercar.
The Stones spotted the potential in the young McLaughlin, and took the decision to promote him straight into the 2010 Supercars Dunlop series at just 16 years' of age.
The 2012 season served as a breakout year for McLaughlin as he competed in – and wo n – both the Supercars Dunlop Series in Australia and the New Zealand V8 Super Tourer series. He also made his “main-game” Supercar debut the same year, partnering Jonathon Webb at Tekno in both the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
It was at the 2012 Sydney 500 where McLaughlin got his “big break,” replacing the ill Alex Premat at Garry Rogers Motorsport (GMR) for the final race of the season. He finished in 17th place after starting at the rear of the grid, and it was this performance that earned McLaughlin a full-time drive at GRM for the 2013 season.
McLaughlin went onto become the youngest ever winner of a Supercars race when he won at Pukekohe Park Raceway in front of an adoring home crowd, ending the year 10th in the Championship to win the Mike Kable Young Gun Award that recognizes the series Rookie of the Year.
The 2014 season brought the new challenge of a manufacturer switch, as GRM represented Volvo's return to Australian motorsport. McLaughlin began the season in sensational style, qualifying on the front row at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, claiming a memorable second behind Craig Lowndes on the Saturday after an intense battle with six-time Champion Jamie Whincup. The season only got better from there, with five race wins, multiple podium finishes and 10 pole positions, topped off with the Barry Sheene Medal for Supercars' best and fairest driver.
A character building year followed in 2015 for McLaughlin, with recurrent reliability issues putting paid to a genuine Championship challenge. All of that would change in 2016, as he put together his best season to date, when he finished third behind only Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup, and taking his second Barry Sheene Medal in the process.
The fast Kiwi made the move to DJR Team Penske for the 2017 season, joining his compatriot Fabian Coulthard in one of the most exciting and promising combinations in the sport.
McLaughlin had an incredible season, taking eight wins and a record-breaking 16 pole positions in 2018 on his way to a career-best second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Last season he raised the bar even higher as he won a single-season career-high nine races while also producing 13 poles and 21 podium finishes. With a strong performance under the intense glare of a championship weekend in Newcastle, McLaughlin eaned a win and a runner-up result to clinch the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Driver's title.
In 2019, McLaughlin will look to defend his crown while racing the new No. 17 Shell V-Power Ford Mustang for DJR Team Penske.
Career Highlights:
- 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Champion
- 2012 Dunlop Super2 Champion
- 2012 NZ SuperTourer Champion
- 2013 Mike Kable Young Gun Award Winner
- 2nd, 2017 Supercars Championship
- 3rd, 2016 Supercars Championship
- Two-time Barry Sheene Medalist
- Youngest ever Supercars Race Winner (2013)
Race 16 loomed as the final piece of the Darwin Triple Crown puzzle for Scott McLaughlin, after snatching the pole position from teammate Fabian Coulthard in the Top 10 Shootout this morning.
