At 26 years of age, Scott McLaughlin hit the peak of his powers in 2019.
The New Zealander seemed destined for Supercars stardom, from making his debut in the Dunlop Super2 Series as a baby-faced 16-year-old in 2010 to winning races in his first full-time season in the Supercars main game in 2013 to finishing in the top 10 of the championship in each of his seven full-time seasons, having won races across two teams, four different cars and three manufacturers.
The move to DJR Team Penske in 2017 and the partnership with engineer Ludo Lacroix elevated him to the next level, leading to the record-breaking run of 2019 that saw him win a second consecutive championship and the Bathurst 1000 for the first time.
This is the story of his season, the key players, the factors in his success and what the future holds for the two-time champion.
THE TEAM
McLaughlin’s second title marked the first consecutive championship defeat for Triple Eight Race Engineering since the start of its dominant run in 2008.
The rise of DJR Team Penske is incredible when put in the context of the near demise of Dick Johnson Racing in the 2012-2013 off-season. While many point to the arrival of Team Penske as majority owners in 2014 as the salvation for Dick Johnson’s team, it was, in fact, the work of Ryan Story which saved the team and had it in a position where it was a worthwhile investment for the likes of Team Penske.
DJR Team Penske has been on the rise ever since, despite scaling back to one car for its first season in 2015 and the initial setback of Marcos Ambrose stepping down after just two rounds.
What followed was a concerted rebuild to inject new life into what had become of Dick Johnson Racing, with steady gains through the second half of 2015 and in 2016, following the expansion back up to two cars.
This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 Issue 114 edition of V8X Supercar Magazine.
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This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 Issue 114 edition of V8X Supercar Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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