Van Gisbergen answers McLaughlin's burnout plea

Shane van Gisbergen answered the plea from old rival and mate Scott McLaughlin on the Gold Coast.

McLaughlin is in Australia, having arrived from the United States earlier this week.

The IndyCar driver, a three-time Supercars champion, was at the track on all three days of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

There, he reconnected with van Gisbergen, and gave the champion-elect a simple request.

“I said to him, ‘If you win, I would love to have a burnout right in front of me’,” McLaughlin told Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast.

Van Gisbergen delivered on McLaughlin’s plea, and celebrated with a big burnout at the beach chicane.

McLaughlin was situated at the corporate area at the chicane, and Supercars cameras picked him out.

He later posted the video to his social media accounts, with van Gisbergen replying to the post.

Van Gisbergen’s burnout came at the same place James Golding triggered the big lap 4 pile-up.

McLaughlin added that he was taken aback by the “slap” of Golding’s car on the tyre bundle.

Van Gisbergen joined McLaughlin on three Supercars titles when he won on Saturday.

The 33-year-old backed it up on Sunday, and helped Red Bull Ampol Racing clinch the teams' championship.

The Sunday win was van Gisbergen's 21st of the season and 27th podium from 32 starts.

He put further margin on McLaughlin's previous record of 18 wins set in 2019.

Van Gisbergen matched van Gisbergen's career wins tally of 56 earlier this year, but has since moved on to 75.

Speaking afterwards, van Gisbergen joked that he helped McLaughlin win a bet with Sunday's result.

However, he expects his old sparring partner to share the winnings.

"I just can't get these things going in fifth gear,” van Gisbergen said.

"Fourth gear seems to be their limit.

"You've just got to do good skids. I couldn't do one yesterday, so did one today.

"Seeing Scotty up there, and a bit of encouragement from him.

“He won a bit of money on me today, so hopefully it gives me some later.”

Van Gisbergen will aim to add to his wins tally at December's VALO Adelaide 500.