Trouble-free shakedown for McLaughlin

Scott McLaughlin and Shell V-Power Racing are satisfied after completing a shakedown of a brand new Ford Mustang Supercar at Queensland Raceway this afternoon.

McLaughlin took to the Ipswich circuit to perform a systems check on the car, codenamed Chassis 007, which the team worked to build up following Kiwi’s frightening Gold Coast crash.

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Allowed 60 kilometres of running under the regulations, it was confirmation that the new car is race ready, with the Supercars championship leader saying the afternoon was completed without a hitch.

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“I say all the time that I have the best crew in Supercars, and they have demonstrated it again with the incredible effort they have put in over the last week,” said McLaughlin.

“To turn a completely bare chassis into a running Supercar in less than seven days is truly incredible, and a testament to the skill and dedication of this crew.

“The car ran beautifully this afternoon, we got through all the systems checks and shakedown testing that we need to manage today so we know that the brand new Car 17 is going to be good to go for Sandown.

“It might be Chassis 007, but we’re going to make sure that this one isn’t shaken or stirred!”

The test was the first time McLaughlin had driven a race car in anger since the Gold Coast crash, which ruled the #17 entry out of Sunday’s race.

Though able to climb from the car and initially cleared by the medical team at the circuit, McLaughlin was subsequently taken to hospital where he underwent a CT scan and MRI after the 42.7G impact.

It was an experience the 26-year-old admits left him ‘shitting’ himself when confronted with the prospect of a brain injury.

However, following the limited running at Queensland Raceway, this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner is confident there are no lasting issues from the incident.

“I was pretty sore and sorry for myself and the team last week, but today I’m good as gold and it was fantastic to get back behind the wheel,” said McLaughlin.

“This is what I do for a living, I love it and I don’t want to do anything else. I have a Championship to win, we have a Teams’ Championship to win and that is now the focus for the team, and for Fabian (Coulthard), Tony (D’Alberto), Alex (Premat) and I across the Sandown and Newcastle weekends. Bring it on.”

McLaughlin and Premat will pair up in Car #17 at this weekend’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500, with practice starting on Friday.