MCLAUGHLIN WILL RACE IN AMERICA SOON

Scott McLaughlin will race in America soon – Photo: InSyde Media

After winning the Bathurst 1000 Scott McLaughlin’s team principal Roger Penske alluded to the fact that the reigning Supercars champion will move to the United States in the not too distant future.

By DAN McCARTHY

The famous American Team Penske has won in everything from IndyCar to NASCAR, Can-Am to Formula 1 and has now tackled the 1000 after Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat fought off the challenge of the Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

Penske himself who visited Bathurst for the 1000 spoke about McLaughlin’s future with the team internationally.

“We want him to come over and he will have to start like we did here (from the beginning) but he has got a good future and you will see him in America for sure in the near future,” Penske said.

“We are running in three different series in America, we have a job to do and we are committed to our sponsors on a long term basis and we have to look at that.”

The 82-year-old said that the team has a plan for McLaughlin going forwards and it is just a matter of finding the series that will best suits him in America.

“It is just part of a plan and I think together with Tim Cindric and the rest of the team we just have to decide what is the best path that he (McLaughlin) is able to join and move forward in his career,” he said.

“I think Scotty has got a great future with us, people ask what are we going to do next, we have got a job to do here and I think that at the right time we will figure that out.”

The American spoke about when he first watched McLaughlin racing in the Volvo Supercar and what he has done for the team since joining in 2017.

“We saw him run with the Volvo, we knew we could possibly get him on our team and that was going to make a big difference, and we have grown together,” he explained.

“The one thing I have to say is he has gotten the momentum within the team and lifted the team, when he lifts it, he lifts the whole place.

“I think that helps lift him to the next level and I said many times this weekend he reminds me of Rick Mears who won the Indianapolis 500 four times, he could always dig deeper and get it for us and I think I knew that today.”

McLaughlin was complemented heavily by Penske for his skill both in and out of the car.

“He has a great commercial savvy which is so important to us in today’s world as we deal with our partners,” he said.

“He’s a guy who knows how to win, and how to go fast.”

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