MCLAUGHLIN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BATHURST 1000 START

Reigning Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin has spoken for the first time about his improved chances of contesting the 2021 edition of the Bathurst 1000.

With the Bathurst 1000 pushed back one month due to the COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales, the New Zealander now has enough time to complete the mandatory two weeks of hotel quarantine before the ‘Great Race.’

Previously with only 10 days between the end of the IndyCar Series and the start of the Bathurst 1000 weekend, Mclaughlin was relying on the hotel quarantine rule to be axed.

McLaughlin now seems a lots more optimistic about competing in this year’s 1000.

“I’ve still got to work out a few things right now,” said McLaughlin on the Parked Up podcast. “For sure, it’s all going ahead I’ve got to make sure… That certainly has helped me, I can make the race now, which is definitely going to be a good thing.”

McLaughlin’s only concern is the several weeks away from America which may cause him to miss some off-season IndyCar winter testing.

“Where it [Bathurst] has sort of been put now is potentially where we’re going to be testing [IndyCar] in the off-season as well,” he stressed.

“So, I’ve just got to work it out, obviously to get Down Under you’ve got to do two weeks quarantine, so there’s two weeks gone, and that’s a long time to be honest.

“Then by the time I get my seat fit done, I’d love to be there a couple of weeks before the race, so I’m potentially looking at a month and a half in Australia, so it is a lot in terms of my off-season, my winter testing schedule for IndyCar.”

McLaughlin explained that the deal with his former boss, Dick Johnson Racing CEO Ryan Story remains intact, and he is confident of being on the grid come November.

“Hopefully we can make it work,” McLaughlin said. “I’m sure we can.

“It’s all agreed upon between us, me and Ryan way back when. So we’d love to get it done, it’d be good.”

AUTO ACTION understands that should McLaughlin not make it, Alex Davison would pair up with his brother Will in the #17 DJR Mustang.

McLaughlin sat down with AA’s Mark Fogarty for the latest issue of the magazine in which the Team Penske driver spoke about his thoughts on the 2021 Supercars Championship and the first half of his debut IndyCar season.

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