Headline maker Scott McLaughlin says he owes a lot to the V8 SuperTourers following his landmark V8 Supercars Championship victory.
Two months short of his 20th birthday McLaughlin became the youngest winner of an Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars Series race in history when he claimed Race 6 at Pukekohe.
He eclipsed the previous record held by Todd Kelly who was 20 years eight months and two days when he won on the streets of Canberra in 2000.
McLaughlin did a remarkable job to come from behind after a shaky start to the inaugural V8 SuperTourers Championship in New Zealand last year in a signature season when he also was crowned the Dunlop Series Champion in Australia.
“In SuperTourers I learnt how to win a race. I learnt how to control a race, learnt how to save my tyres, learnt how to approach endurance racing. There was a heap of stuff I learnt,” McLaughlin told Speedcafe.
“I have no words honestly it is just unbelievable. It was pure adrenalin there.”
“It is a fairytale. It is something Shane (van Gisbergen) did a couple of years ago (Hamilton). And for me to do it now. I just wish I could go and grab a bottle of beer and celebrate with the boys but I can’t.
The triumph was a sensory overload for the young Christchurch-born racer.
“The thoughts running through your head are that you are just trying to control it and remember your brake points. It’s hard. I’ve heard people say you can hear the roar of the crowd and you can see crowd cheering. And they are so right. It’s so hard to concentrate and to win.
There remains two 35-lap races today for McLaughlin to put himself in with a shot at winning the Jason Richards trophy.
McLaughlin became caught up in an incident involving James Courtney, van Gisbergen and Jason Bright during Race 7 before finishing 24th.
“It was disappointing but we are still in with a shot at the Jason Richards trophy,” McLaughlin said.
