Scott McLaughlin is a step closer to wrapping up his third straight Supercars championship after winning Sunday’s first race at Tailem Bend.
The Ford flyer’s 13th win of the season added to his victory on Saturday, finishing ahead of Penrite Racing’s Anton de Pasquale and Tickford’s Cameron Waters.
It was McLaughlin’s 56th career victory, taking him past Garth Tander into outright fourth on the all-time race wins list.
The only driver who can upset McLaughlin’s run to the title – seven-time champion Jamie Whincup – finished seventh.
The result saw McLaughlin’s championship lead over Whincup swell to 299 points.
If McLaughlin finishes this round at least 300 points in front, it will be impossible for Whincup to snatch the title from him at the Bathurst 1000 season finale.
“If we can get it done today, that would be fantastic, but if we don’t, we’ll put ourselves in the best position come Bathurst,” McLaughlin said.
In the 60-year history of Australian touring car racing, only three drivers have won at least three straight titles – Ian Geoghegan (1966-69), Mark Skaife (2000-2002) and Jamie Whincup (2011-14).
The only downside of another triumph for McLaughlin was Shell V-Power teammate Fabian Coulthard suffering a mechanical failure and didn’t finish the race.
Coulthard began at the front of the grid, even overtaking McLaughlin at the start, but his Mustang called it quits with 10 laps to go.
“Bummed about (Coulthard) because I think we were on for a one-two there,” McLaughlin said.
“He had a great car and a great start, but we’ll work on it.”
McLaughlin will again start from pole for Sunday’s second 32-lap race, which gets underway at 2.50pm AEST.