McLaughlin proud of Whincup battle
29 Sep 2020
Scott McLaughlin’s first two championship triumphs came with Shane van Gisbergen playing the role of his chief rival.
For McLaughlin to achieve his three-peat by defeating Jamie Whincup in a direct showdown added to the occasion of the weekend, as he sealed his latest crown a round early thanks to a dominant display at the OTR SuperSprint.
After all, Whincup was the man to snatch what would have been McLaughlin’s maiden title in 2017 at the very last moment, in a dramatic Newcastle decider.
There would be no such repeat this time around.
“It’s nice. I guess in some ways you’ve battled the guy that is probably the greatest of all time and for us to get one over him is a pretty proud moment,” McLaughlin said with reference to Whincup.
Whincup's classy response to title defeat
“Obviously 2017 everyone knows about the demons that I had to face and all that sort of stuff, especially in 2018.
“Bouncing back in 2018 was important but then I guess this year has been completely different for everyone and to battle Jamie all the way through and still win it with a round to go is a really proud moment for our team.”
McLaughlin boasts a phenomenal winning record from his eight Supercars seasons but he’s not counting on surpassing Whincup’s unrivalled tally of seven championships – whether or not he does go to IndyCar as rumoured.
“Jamie’s seven championships, I think anyone will struggle to beat that,” McLaughlin said.
“It’s phenomenal. I’m proud to get three.”
McLaughlin will be paired with Tim Slade in the #17 Shell Mustang for his defence of the Peter Brock Trophy at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 15-18.
