MOTORSPORT: McLaughlin clinches Supercars title

Scott McLaughlin has farewelled the Ford Falcon from Australian touring car racing in the best possible way: by wrapping up the 2018 Supercars driver’s championship in Newcastle this afternoon.

McLaughlin, who like all his fellow Ford drivers swaps to the Ford Mustang in 2019, finished second in the 250km race in his DJR Team Penske Shell V-Power Falcon FG X.

That result was good enough to wrap up the title by 71 points over arch-rival Shane van Gisbergen, who finished fourth this afternoon.

McLaughlin’s maiden title win was made easier in the stewards room on Sunday morning, when van Gisbergen was penalised 25 seconds for a refuelling breach, dropping him from first to fifth in Saturday’s race.

The Red Bull HRT Holden Commodore driver had wrested the lead from an out-of-fuel McLaughlin with just two corners to go.

If the results had stood, the gap going into Sunday’s race would have been just two points instead of 53 points.

McLaughlin led much of Sunday’s race but surrendered the lead to Erebus Motorsport’s David Reynolds with just five laps to go. Defending champion Jamie Whincup finished third.

The day also marked the end of Crag Lowndes’ full-time driving career. He finished 11th.