Shell V-Power Racing Team drivers Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat took a fantastic podium finish at the Bathurst 1000 , with teammates Fabian Coulthard and Tony D’Alberto strong Top 10 finishers.
“It’s very cool to get a podium here at Bathurst,” commented McLaughlin. “It’s something that I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid, and to share the podium with Lowndesy was incredible. It was very intense up there, with the crowd chanting. It was something that I will cherish forever. Alex and the team did a stellar job, and now I can’t wait to come back and try for the top step.”
The 2018 edition of the Bathurst 1000 was another race of attrition, of both man and machine. Both Shell V-Power Racing Fords got a good start, with Car No.17 started by Scott McLaughlin and Car No.12 started by Tony D’Alberto.
McLaughlin took his first stop on 17, when Premat got behind the wheel for the second stint of the race. Premat settled into fourth place on the road after the first round of stops, and began pushing in a sensational stint. He took Car No.17’s second stop on lap 34, during a safety car period where some debris was cleaned from the circuit. Premat moved to third, and then second when Triple Eight runners Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell lost a wheel on the pit straight. Premat then past the Erebus No.9 to take the lead for the first time.
Premat pitted from the lead on lap 57, after a sensational drive. Scott jumped into the car, though a slow pit stop for a brake change pushed McLaughlin down to eighth. Light rain started to fall through this section of the race, although not heavy enough to cause a change to wet tyres. McLaughlin worked his way to fifth before taking a fourth stop on lap 77, again switching with Premat. The Frenchman again excelled in tricky conditions, returning to pit lane on lap 94 to hand the car back to McLaughlin for the rest of the day.
McLaughlin settled into seventh place behind Coulthard until lap 111, when Coulthard allowed his team mate by to attempt an attack on the leaders. He worked his way forward to fourth, and then was third when David Reynolds took an unscheduled stop as he struggled with cramping in his right leg. After McLaughlin’s final scheduled stop of the day he sat fourth, until a drive-through penalty forced Reynolds back to pit-lane, and out of contention for the race.
The last segment of the race was a green flag sprint, with McLaughlin behind Lowndes and Pye. It ended with McLaughlin taking his first Bathurst 1000 podium in third position, with Alex Premat alongside him. McLaughlin is now only 19 points behind Shane van Gisbergen in the Driver’s Championship.
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. Shane Van Gisbergen 3276
2. Scott McLaughlin 3257 -19
3. Jamie Whincup 2872 -404
4. Craig Lowndes 2787 -489
5. David Reynolds 2567 -709
6. Chaz Mostert 2288 -988
7. Fabian Coulthard 2282 -994
8. Rick Kelly 2242 -1034
9. Scott Pye 2182 -1094
10. Tim Slade 1970 -1306
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. Triple Eight Race Engineering (Whincup/SVG) 6148
2. Shell V-Power Racing Team 5539 -609
3. Tickford Racing (Mostert/Winterbottom) 4066 -2082
4. Brad Jones Racing 3921 -2227
5. Erebus Motorsport 3886 -2262
6. Walkinshaw Andretti United 3778 -2370
7. Nissan Motorsport (Kelly/Heimgartner) 3636 -2512
8. Garry Rogers Motorsport 3035 -3113
9. Triple Eight Race Engineering (Lowndes) 2787 -3361
10. Nissan NISMO (Caruso/De Silvestro) 2582 -3566
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