Scott McLaughlin is set to sample NASCAR machinery for the first time at this weekend’s Vodafone Gold Coast 600.
Speedcafe.com understands the Shell V-Power Racing driver and team-mate Fabian Coulthard will conduct special demonstration runs on the Surfers Paradise streets behind the wheel of a 2016 specification Shell-liveried Ford Fusion, once raced by Joey Logano.”
Since last November the Team Penske car has been housed at DJR Team Penske’s workshop having been shipped from Penske’s base in America.
It has been on display alongside a selection of cars made famous by the Penske and Dick Johnson Racing organisations.
However, this weekend the car will enjoy a rare run out as a late addition to the on track entertainment at the Gold Coast 600.
It is understood that the car has been specially prepared for the demonstration the first of which is due to take place today.
For McLaughlin, the outing will be a memorable moment having long held a desire to race NASCAR once he has accomplished goals in Supercars.
“I’m excited, just to have a crack at it and the power it’s got, it’s unreal, so it’s going to be a lot of fun and certainly just looking forward to seeing what it’s like,” McLaughlin told Speedcafe.com.
“For sure, always wanted to drive one and now that it’s happening it’s very cool, (and) at home, so that’s cool. Next-best thing’s going to be doing it in America, if we ever got a chance.”
The Vodafone Gold Coast 600 schedule has undergone several changes following the removal of the now banned Stadium Super Trucks from the support bill.
Organisers have added the Kumho V8 Touring Cars Series as a replacement while an extra Armor All Top 10 Shootout has been added to proceedings on Saturday.
The NASCAR demo arrives just two months after a visit from NASCAR bosses Steve O’Donnell and John Probst who attended the OTR Super Sprint at The Bend Motorsport Park.
Supercars CEO Sean Seamer is expected to head to the US to attend a race later this year to help foster a relationship with the category
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