The leading driver in this year's Supercars Championship says the close 14-point gap between him and Holden's Shane Van Gisbergen will result in a thrilling Newcastle 500.
Shell V Power's Scott McLaughlin and teammate Fabian Coulthard are in town today, to inspect the Foreshore track on pit lane.
It's just 10 days out from the event's beginning, and excitement is building among fans, with 20-year-old Gillieston Heights paralympic swimmer Maddison Elliott winning a hot lap around the track.
After being pipped at the post by Holden's Jamie Whincup in the final moments last year, Scott McLaughlin says he's looking to re-write history.
"If I lose, I'd rather do it early, not in the last lap because that's a bit more heartbreaking," McLaughlin said, "but I think it's a great opportunity for the pair of us [Fabian Coulthard] to have a crack, the points are very close so it's basically who does the best job...I couldn't ask for a better finale."
The 2017 win saw Jamie Whincup claim a record-breaking seventh Supercars title.
Fabian Coulthard is currently in seventh place heading into the final round and says they might be a little better prepared for this year's race, having driven the track once before.
"I just think it's general knowledge of the place," he explained, "being so tight and twisty it's a bit of a shock to the system. We've just come from New Zealand, which is a big fast flowing circuit, and this one's a bit of a concrete canyon, there's no room for error."
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| The Shell V Power Team in Newcastle today. |
