V8 Supercars leader Scott McLaughlin set to make IndyCar debut in Florida in October
Scott McLaughlin will waste little time after the Bathurst 1000 brings the curtain down on a COVID-reduced V8 Supercars season next month as he prepares to kick off his IndyCar career.
V8
Don't miss out on the headlines from V8. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin has been confirmed to make his IndyCar debut, in Florida next month, after the current SuperCars season concludes at Bathurst a week earlier.
McLaughlin had originally been slated to take his bow on the Indianapolis road course earlier this year, before COVID-19 threw sporting schedules in to chaos across the globe.
“Our plan has always been for Scott to run a race in the IndyCar Series this season, but we never wanted to take the focus away from the main goal, which is winning another Supercars championship,” said Team Penske president Tim Cindric.
Watch the V8 Supercars season LIVE & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >
SUPERCARS NEWS
All you need to know about Bathurst ticket drama
Ford gun McLaughlin slams Holden’s ‘silly games’
Supercars war: McLaughlin, Whincup storm Townsville
“COVID-19 certainly altered those plans early on, but with the way the schedules have lined up at the end of this season, St. Pete’ became an available option and we remain committed to getting him some IndyCar seat time.
“We know Scott is ready for this challenge and this should add even more excitement to the 2020 season finale in St. Petersburg.”
McLaughlin, currently 143-points ahead of Jamie Whincup in the Supercars title race heading in to the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend in South Australia this weekend, will drive the No. 3 Shell V-Power Nitro+ Dallara/Chevrolet and is looking forward to the fresh challenge.
“This is something I haven’t stopped thinking about, but I wanted to ensure my focus was on winning our third straight Supercars championship for DJR Team Penske and all our partners in Australia,” he told supercars.com.
“We are still laser-focused on that and have three more rounds to get it done, but I’m equally as excited to finally get the chance and make my IndyCar debut.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to keep up with the series this year, from watching as many races as I can on TV to even talking to the drivers and some of the engineers back at the Team Penske shop.
“I never knew if I would be able to get behind the wheel of one of these cars this year due to all the COVID-19 restrictions, but I wanted to be ready if it became an opportunity.”
McLaughlin’s appearance on track at St. Petersburg on October 25 has been made possible after securing a government-approved travel exemption.
WET WEATHER TO TEST DRIVERS AT THE BEND
— Cara Jenkin
Fans say for added excitement in Supercars, just add water.
That is 95 per cent guaranteed on the weather forecast for the first day of the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend Motorsport Park, providing drivers with an added challenge at a track they already find tough with its long sweeping corners and windswept pit straight.
With three rounds to go in the Supercars championship and two drivers still in the hunt to win it, conquering The Bend Motorsport Park in the wet will be key to their success.
Ford driver Scott McLaughlin is 143 points in front of Holden driver Jamie Whincup.
Whincup, from Red Bull Holden Racing Team, said he had been “hanging in there” behind McLaughlin in the annual standings in past few races.
He hoped to remain within striking distance at the end of the back-to-back Bend rounds for the finale, to be held at Bathurst.
“This next fortnight is critical,” he said.
McLaughlin, from Shell V-Power Racing Team, said the rain would be “a bit of a wildcard”.
“The weather is always a mixed bag, especially at a place like this where there’s a lot of wind – that’s something we’ll definitely look at,” he said.
“It’s the same conditions for everyone and we’ve got to try and make the most of it.
“If we can walk out of the two Bend events with the same points gap, it’s been a good job.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast up to an inch of rain for the Murraylands region on Saturday, with the heaviest falls expected during the practice and qualifying sessions earlier in the day.
Race 25 of the Supercars championship begins at 3.10pm.
South Australian driver Todd Hazelwood, from Brad Jones Racing, predicted the weather would lead to an “action-packed day”.
“Speaking to the locals here, the track is very slippery when the rain comes down,” he said.
“There seems to be a lot of standing water, it looks like glass and is aquaplaney.
“In a Supercar, it’s going to be wild and create some interesting racing.”
He said the rain could also affect Sunday racing, when sunshine is forecast, as teams would be qualifying for two races “completely blind” with no dry-running data.
“Our cars are pretty competitive here, both in the dry and the wet and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do,” he said.
Limited Park n View tickets are still available for Saturday as well as Sunday, enabling spectators to sit in their own cars trackside and stay dry while still enjoying good views of the racing.
MORE SPORT:
Matildas jersey backflip: Women’s away kit now available to public
Robbo Q&A: Ben Rutten breaks silence and lays out his plans for Essendon
Brett Ratten wasted no time thanking the behind the scenes staff at St Kilda for their hard work