Victorious revenge and extended championship lead for McLaughlin

Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske Ford) has won the second race of the ITM Auckland SuperSprint event at Pukekohe Park Raceway to extend the championship lead ahead of Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight Red Bull Holden). McLaughlin’s advantage is now 14 points with two more races on a schedule at season’s finale that will take place at Newcastle Street Circuit on November 24-25.

SVG finished the race in the second place after his teammate Jamie Whincup slowed down to make him pass close to the finish line. Triple Eight Red Bull Holden secured Teams’ championship title, the ninth in eleven years, with one round to spare.

Victorious burnout for Scott McLaughlin a Pukekohe Park Raceway

Victorious burnout for Scott McLaughlin at Pukekohe Park Raceway

The driver of the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Ford Falcon clinched his eighth win of the season in a battle against pole-sitter Jamie Whincup. They made the pitstops on lap 5 (Whincup) and lap 13 (McLaughlin) and Whincup then built a 4sec advantage. McLaughlin took the lead after the second round of pitstops. He managed to stay in front until the final lap. Whincup then handed P2 to his teammate to help him collect more points.

Craig Lowndes and David Reynolds completed the top 5 in two Holdens. Ford drivers Chaz Mostert and Fabian Coulthard took sixth and seventh. Andre Heimgartner was the best Nissan driver in the eighth place.