Despite their ties as Kiwi countrymen, the pair brought the red versus blue divide that Supercars so dearly needed.
Their fight for supremacy peaked with incidents like the 2017 tangle when McLaughlin spun van Gisbergen at Sydney Motorsport Park after a frenetic Safety Car restart.
There were other moments including van Gisbergen’s purposely bad parking job in 2018 that stopped McLaughlin from getting out of his car at the podium presentation.
And who could forget when the pair collided at the 2014 Bathurst 1000 – an opportunistic pass by van Gisbergen ultimately ending with McLaughlin in the wall at The Cutting?
But then there were moments of sportsmanship, like the enormous Gold Coast crash that left McLaughlin’s Mustang beached on its side, prompting van Gisbergen to get out of his car.
Both walked away from Supercars as three-time champions, though McLaughlin arguably had the better scorecard in the head-to-head stakes, beating van Gisbergen to the tile in 2018 and 2019.
Since leaving Australia, the compatriots have been able to bond now that they’re not racing against each other.
“Life’s obviously different for each other now. You’re cheering for each other and talking a lot,” van Gisbergen said on the KTM Summer Grill.
“It’s hard to be friends really I find with someone who’s chasing the same dream as you.
“So we got along pretty well, but we didn’t hang out as much as we probably should have, for how similar we are and how much we get along.”
Van Gisbergen said he’s enjoyed being able to be closer with McLaughlin.
McLaughlin made the move to the United States at the end of 2020 to pursue an IndyCar career, laying the platform for van Gisbergen to follow suit – albeit to NASCAR.
“It’s been awesome being here [in the United States]. He was obviously a huge help and encouragement I guess to come over here,” van Gisbergen explained.
“Being able to hang out with him and Carly [McLaughlin’s wife] it’s been really cool.”
McLaughlin admitted on his KTM Summer Grill episode that he may have got van Gisbergen in trouble for posting a photo on social media with the Busch Light-affiliated driver drinking a rival brand.
“Our football team here sucks,” van Gisbergen laughed.
“But he’s been trying to drag me along and get into football. I went to my first Panthers game and I had a blast actually, but hopefully our team gets a little better.”
Soon, the New Zealanders will be teammates in the Daytona 24, driving a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Trackhouse Racing.
They’ll join Connor Zilisch and Ben Keating in a car prepared by TF Sport.
It’ll be the first time van Gisbergen and McLaughlin have shared a car in a competitive environment.
“It’s funny, it’s weird, actually,” said McLaughlin.
“Especially over here now, we go out for dinners and have beers and whatnot and hang out a little bit more than we probably did in the past.
“But not that we didn’t like each other beforehand, it was just awkward, and now we’re sort of friends and teammates and excited for Daytona.
“I head to Daytona for The Roar, and then the 24. It’s such a good start to the year, and I think we’ve got a really good car and a good team lineup.
“Connor Zilisch is a superstar over here now, and then Ben Keating is probably the best bronze you can have.
“We’ve got a good shot, but it all depends on BOP (Balance of Performance) and all that sort of stuff.
“I have full confidence in GM and Corvette that we can come with a really good package and give these European manufacturers a good go in our land.”
The 63rd Daytona 24 takes place across January 24-27. The ROAR Before the 24 is on January 18-20.
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