Scott McLaughlin is looking forward to providing contemporary insight into driving a Supercar when he joins the broadcast for next month’s Valo Adelaide 500.
The three-time Adelaide race winner has now been announced as a ‘Fanbassador’ for the event, off the back of news in September that he will fill a television role during his time back in Australia.
McLaughlin is nowadays a three-time race winner in IndyCar, finishing fourth in the series standings in 2022.
However, it is also barely more than two years since he last drove a Supercar competitively, and expects to be able to add another element to the broadcast.
“Obviously, I am a keen follower of the Supercars, I watch as much as I can – I miss most races because of the time difference, but I watch a tonne of it – but to go back and be a part of the Valo Adelaide 500 is amazing,” the three-time Supercars champion told select media, including Speedcafe.com.
“The opportunity was to be a ‘Fanbassador’ and give the fans an inside look into the weekend and my thoughts on the weekend, and I’m really excited to be, I guess you could say, a very neutral perspective.
“I don’t have to be filtered or anything like that; I can have a lot of fun with it and enjoy it, and I’m certainly looking forward to doing that from the commentary perspective as well.
“I’m excited to provide comments throughout the weekend.
“I’m a little bit more current in terms of just coming out of the seat of Supercars in some ways, and I feel like I can add to the broadcast and add to the viewership in a good way.”
McLaughlin is, of course, not the only recent Supercars driver on the broadcast team, with Garth Tander dovetailing his pit lane role with an enduro drive with Triple Eight Race Engineering.
The New Zealander is, though, the freshest of the on-air talent in terms of those to have raced a Supercar in Adelaide, and indeed the most recent race winner in the South Australian capital, before the event’s shortlived exile.
His television role will include special comments on Supercars sessions and select support category races.
As a Fanbassador, McLaughlin will provide analysis via the Adelaide 500’s social media channels, as well as taking part in signing sessions and other off-track activities.
It comes after he experienced the recent Gold Coast 500 as a fan, in his first visit to Australia since becoming an IndyCar racer.
“I really enjoyed watching the Gold Coast live again and seeing the cars up close again,” said the 29-year-old.
“Then to go to Adelaide, where the race was up in the air for a long while there, and then for it to come back and be its first race back, I’m sure there’s going to be a tonne of people there and I’m really excited to be a part of it all.”
The event takes place on the Adelaide Parklands Circuit from December 1-4.
