There's a new Lap of the Gods, after Ford's Scott McLaughlin continued his record-setting season with a mindblowing Shootout drive that put him in pole position for the Bathurst 1000.
Scott McLaughlin was stunned speechless after he and his Mustang combined for Mount Panorama’s greatest ever lap.
Moving one step closer to becoming a Bathurst immortal, McLaughlin produced his very own “Lap of the Gods’’ by breaking the Mount Panorama lap record in a stunning top-ten shoot-out.
Smashing his own former mark with a perfect one lap blast, McLaughlin failed to respond to questions as the enormity of his achievement registered.
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Only Greg Murphy’s shoot-out lap in 2003 – labelled “Lap of the Gods” – can lay claim to rivalling what McLaughlin and his Mustang produced yesterday.
The DJR/Team Penske eventually found the composure to talk about his new record time of 2.03.37.
“Firstly thanks to the fans,’’ McLaughlin said.
“I have never seen anything like that. And thanks to my team, they just gave me a rocketship and it was just hooked up in those conditions. I am just pumped.’’
Re-live all the madness as we covered it live in our blog below
Coming out last after fellow Mustang man Chaz Mostert went to the top with a 2.03.78, McLaughlin re-wrote Bathurst history.
“Coming down the hill I was pretty fast,’’ McLaughlin said.
“I was like jeez this is could. I just told myself that I needed to hang onto the thing. I just threw it into the chase and then in the last corner and tried to hang on. I hung on and it pulled up well.’’
With his boss Ryan Story declaring him as “something seriously special’’, McLaughlin will be out to confirm himself as a Bathurst great by winning his first Mount Panorama crown today.
“I am just looking toward the big one tomorrow,’’ McLaughlin said.
“I am focused on that one now. We have qualified and gotten it out of the way and we will start from pole, the best possible position.’’
The DJR/Team Penske garage – which included billionaire team co-owner Rogers Penske erupted in celebration when McLaughlin completed the historic lap.
“This kid is something special,’’ said Story.
“He truly is. It was a truly special lap and what an achievement.’’
In another white-knuckle top-ten shoot that began with Anton De Pasquale clocking a session starting 2.04.38, Cameron Waters glanced concrete and burnt rubber as he clocked the fastest ever second sector Mount Panorama split.
Coming out after Mark Winterbottom failed to match De Pasquale, Waters held his nerve to clock a 2.03.94 and go to the top with seven drivers to follow.
“That was awesome because I have been struggling all weekend,’’ Waters said.
“We got it all together and had a good crack. Sometimes you will put in the fence and sometimes you will go fast.’’
Out to put the “dream team’’ on the front row, Jamie Whincup went close to topping
Waters survived attacks from Nick Percat, Tim Slade and Will Davison to remain on top with just three cars left to come.
In his 9th consecutive top-ten shoot-out, Shane van Gisbergen came out hard but fell short of both Waters and his Red Bull stablemate Whincup with a time of 2.04.11.
“I just missed a few spots,’’ van Gisbergen said.
“But I have a straight car and we are all good.’’
Waters time at the top came to an end when fellow Ford man Mostert flew to clock a 2.03.78.
And then came McLaughlin’s show-stopper. The rest his history.
Scott McLaughlin has put it best, describing his Ford Mustang as a 'rocketship' after his record-setting lap.
"This car is a rocket ship. I'm just pumped," McLaughlin said.
"Coming down the hill I was pretty fast there. I thought 'jeez this is good'.
"I threw it into the chase, and threw it into the last corner and held on.
"We start from pole, the best position position."
1 – Scott McLaughlin
2 – Chaz Mostert
3 – Cameron Waters
4 – Jamie Whincup
5 – Shane Van Gisbergen
6 – Will Davison
7 – Anton De Pasquale
8 – Nick Percat
9 – Tim Slade
10 – Mark Winterbottom
Chaz was heating up but nearly went off the track at the top – and STILL posts the fastest time through sector 2.
And he gets top spot! Wow! 2:03.7897 – hell of a lap that! And he bumps Waters off the top.
Only Scott McLaughlin remains….
1-Mostert
2-Waters
3-Whincup
4-Van Gisbergen
5-Davison
6-De Pasquale
7-Percat
8-Slade
9-Winterbottom
WOW,
That's the fastest lap ever at Bathurst – 2:03.378.
McLaughlin takes first place from Chaz Mostert – putting four tenths of a second between them.
Super, super lap.
He'll start at the front of the grid tomorrow – and 1000kms stands between him and the Bathurst glory he so dearly craves.
WOW,
That's the fastest lap ever at Bathurst – 2:03.378.
McLaughlin takes first place from Chaz Mostert – putting four tenths of a second between them.
Super, super lap.
He'll start at the front of the grid tomorrow – and 1000kms stands between him and the Bathurst glory he so dearly craves.
50.5 first split from McLaughlin – dream start.
Absolutely flying here and on track for yet another pole.
50.5 first split from McLaughlin – dream start.
Absolutely flying here and on track for yet another pole.
Chaz was heating up but nearly went off the track at the top – and STILL posts the fastest time through sector 2.
And he gets top spot! Wow! 2:03.7897 – hell of a lap that! And he bumps Waters off the top.
Only Scott McLaughlin remains….
1-Mostert
2-Waters
3-Whincup
4-Van Gisbergen
5-Davison
6-De Pasquale
7-Percat
8-Slade
9-Winterbottom
Van Gisbergen looking extremely quick through the middle sector…
2.04.1136 is good enough for P3 for him. Davison drops back to fourth. Chaz Mostert is up next. He sizzled in the second practice.
1-Waters
2-Whincup
3-Van Gisbergen
4-Davison
5-De Pasquale
6-Percat
7-Slade
8-Winterbottom
That won't be enough… but a strong finish from Davison.
He posts a 2:04.3295 and overtakes De Pasquale into third spot.
1-Waters
2-Whincup
3-Davison
4-De Pasquale
5-Percat
6-Slade
7-Winterbottom