McLaughlin set to call off Bathurst 1000 return
Scott McLaughlin has all but confirmed that he will not return to Australia for the Bathurst 1000 in December.
The IndyCar rookie of the year agreed to return to the race this year as part of he and Team Penske's divorce with Dick Johnson Racing in late 2020.
That plan was scuppered shortly afterwards by a change to the IndyCar schedule, before another scheduling change, this time for Supercars, re-opened the door for a Bathurst berth with DJR.
However, McLaughlin quickly flagged that his IndyCar testing schedule may still complicate a trip down under, which in itself is complicated by a two-week stint in hotel quarantine to get through Australia's closed border.
It appears that will be an issue for the US-based Kiwi, who has all but ruled out any hopes of a shot at a second Bathurst crown this year.
"A lot of people want me to go back and race Bathurst, but I’m 95 per cent sure I’m not going to be there," he told media at Long Beach late last week.
Scott McLaughlin, DJR Team Penske Ford
Photo by: Dirk Klynsmith / Motorsport Images
"It’s down to the quarantining. I can’t be away from [the US] for a certain amount of time, and I don’t want to risk being able to come back here.
"My career’s here now. It would be a bonus to be able to do Bathurst but unfortunately, if I can’t do it, I can’t do it, and hopefully I’ll be back some time in the future."
McLaughlin finished 11th at the Long Beach IndyCar finale, beating Romain Grosjean to rookie of the year honours after the French driver broke his suspension in a brush against the wall.
Had McLaughlin made the trip to Bathurst, it was expected he would partner Anton De Pasquale in the #11, while Tony D'Alberto would race alongside Will Davison in the famous #17.
However should DJR end up signing Alex Davison to replace McLaughlin as expected, the two Davison brothers will team up and D'Alberto will move over to De Pasquale's car.
Related video
Supercars drivers will need to be vaccinated to race
Four night races during Sydney Supercars quadruple-header
Daytona 24: Westbrook’s Ganassi Cadillac tops second practice
Richard Westbrook ensured Cadillac’s new V-LMDh snagged top spot in second practice for the Daytona 24 Hours, ahead of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura.
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022
When Nissan ruled Australia with its 'Godzilla' Group A special
The Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R was the fastest Group A touring car ever. It cleaned up at the Bathurst 1000 and in the Australian Touring Car Championship, and is fondly remembered by the drivers who monstered it to success on the world-famous Mount Panorama
Ranking the top 10 Supercars drivers of 2021
It may have been a one-man title fight in Supercars this season, but behind dominant champion Shane van Gisbergen were some fascinating performances. Autosport picks out the best drivers of the 2021 campaign.
The well-travelled racer now Supercars' elder statesman
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing, as Andrew van Leeuwen explains
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
OPINION: Roger Penske's operation helped lift Dick Johnson's faltering Ford team back to the top of Australian tin-tops. But, despite The Captain's departure, along with star driver Scott McLaughlin, there's no reason to expect an imminent decline from DJR
Why Whincup's next move is no calculated gamble
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But the team's outgoing boss Roland Dane has full faith that he'll be up to the task
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.