MOTORSPORT: McLaughlin stuns in first IndyCar test

Supercars superstar Scott McLaughlin has taken to IndyCar like a duck to water and is growing keener by the day for a career in America with Roger Penske's racing empire.

The 26-year-old New Zealander, the Supercar champion of the past two seasons and Bathurst 1000 victor last October, was a stunning third fastest of 27 drivers in an IndyCar test at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) this week.

The field included six champions of the North American open-wheeler series and six other rookies.

Australian Will Power – one of those champions, a stalwart of Team Penske and an Indianapolis 500 winner – topped the test with a time close to his pole position at COTA last season.

McLaughlin was only 0.6 seconds slower, averaging almost 185kmh around the 5.5km circuit in another of Penske's Chevrolet-powered Dallara cars.

Sandwiching McLaughlin on the timesheet were two American aces, Alex Rossi in a Honda-powered Andretti Autosports entry, and Penske's two-time and reigning series champion Josef Newgarden.

Last year's top rookie and race victor at COTA, 19-year-old Colton Herta, was fifth for Amdretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

The test was hampered by bad weather on the opening day but after the second and final day the 27 drivers had completed 1460 laps in 25 cars, all fitted with the Aeroscreen cockpit protection new to the category this year, with McLaughlin chalking up more than 60 laps.

He is already booked to make his IndyCar race debut on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (now Penske-owned) on May 9 – two weeks before the Indy 500 – and is hungry for much more, although he's also looking forward to another season of Supercars in his Penske Ford Mustang starting in Adelaide next weekend.

McLaughlin, who will take part in an oval track test at Texas Motor Speedway tonight, says he's "living the dream" and soaked up this week's COTA experience "like a sponge".

"I'd like to explore the IndyCar series more – and I'd like to explore more in America," McLaughlin said.

"I'd love to get to America one day. That's my ultimate goal. I love the country. I love the people. We'll see what happens."

Apart from being the most successful team owner in IndyCar, Penske also fields teams in NASCAR and American sportscar racing as well Supercars in Australia.

McLaughlin said an IndyCar had been "an altogether new feeling" for him, with "a lot of grip and tough to drive".

"You turn that pit speed limiter off and there's a lot of power and a lot of braking," he said.

"I'm a race car driver. I like going fast, so this is a lot faster [than a Supercar].

"I'm just really privileged that Roger and Team Penske have given me a go.

"I've just enjoyed it as much as I can with a smile on my face."

Rubens Barrichello, the Brazilian who has driven more Formula 1 races than anyone (322, including 11 wins), has been confirmed to drive in Australia's new 5.0-litre open-wheeler category, S5000, at next month's Grand Prix in Melbourne and at Bathurst in November.

Barrichello will drive for Team BRM after having had a taste of S5000 on its debut at permanent Melbourne circuit Sandown last September.

He has had five F1 podiums on the Albert Park GP street circuit.

Barrichello's November outing will be at the new Bathurst International event in which TCR touring cars also will race at Mt Panorama.

The Brazilian also is spearheading Toyota's entry into the touring car championship in his homeland this year.

The Bathurst 6-Hour at Easter could be heading for a record Mt Panorama field, with more than 60 entries already for the April 12 production car race.

The most cars in a race at The Mountain was 64 in the 2017 6-Hour.

Almost half the entries this year are in the top three classes – ultimate performance and the forced-induction and naturally-aspirated categories of extreme performance.

The TCR touring cars will make their Bathurst debut at the Easter event. It also will be the opening round of the Australian GT Championship and there are historic touring cars and other categories on the program.

Lots of extra muscle for Adelaide 500

The debut of the National TransAm Series at next week's Adelaide 500 will have at least 19 American muscle cars – Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers.

Heading the entry are Glenn Seton's son Aaron in a Mustang and George Miedecke and Nathan Herne in Camaros.

Australia's Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell has been confirmed for a start in the GTE class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Queenslander Campbell will race with two other endurance guns, New Zealander Earl Bamber and Britain's Nick Tandy in a 911 RSR19.

Tanak starts catch-up in WRC title defence

World rally champion Ott Tanak is trying to get his title defence back on track at this weekend's Rally Sweden after his massive crash in the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally.

On his debut with Hyundai after defecting from Tommi Makinen's Toyota team with which he won the title, Tanak went off the road at 200kmh on the Monte, barrel-rolling 10 times and ending up 100 metres down a hillside.

The Estonian's Belgian teammate Thierry Neuville starts first in this second round of the WRC, which ventures briefly from Sweden into Norway, after his success on the Monte.

Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, world champion the six years before Tanak and having replaced him at Toyota, starts second for a change.

There are concerns about there being less snow and ice on the course than usual.