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Supercars underdogs upstage McLaughlin

3 minute read

Supercars drivers Jack Le Brocq and Nick Percat have claimed race victories, preventing Scott McLaughlin from moving further ahead in the 2020 championship.

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN.
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Two underdogs have thwarted Scott McLaughlin's bid to catch the legendary Peter Brock and move to equal fifth on the all-time Supercars race wins list.

After dominating the first race of the Sydney Supersprint on Saturday night, it appeared no one could stop 27-year-old McLaughlin's charge towards matching one of Australian motorsport's icons with a 48th race win.

But unlikely victors came to the fore on Sunday, with Ford's Jack Le Brocq breaking through for his maiden Supercars victory and Holden's Nick Percat claiming the second win of a career-best season.

Le Brocq produced the drive of his life at Sydney Motorsport Parkto claim a breakthro0gh win in his third season as a fulltime driver.

After qualifying seventh-fastest, the Tickford Racing driver edged out Kelly Racing's Andre Heimgartner, who started from pole, while Holden's Todd Hazelwood completed an unlikely top-three in the last of three races over the weekend.

"I don't really know what to feel," Le Brocq said. "The last five laps I was in trouble so I was just hanging on and I got there somehow."

Two-time defending champion McLaughlin endured a horror end to the weekend, slumping to 14th in the final race.

A disappointing finish to a second-straight Supercars round held at ther track did nothing to harm the Ford flyer's title aspirations as he extended his series lead to 107 points over Red Bull Holden legend Jamie Whincup.

But equalling Brock's career tally of 48 race wins will have to wait until at least next month's double-header in Darwin.

New Zealander McLaughlin secured his 47th career race victory and fourth of 2020 by winning under the new permanent lights on Saturday night.

In Sunday's first 32-lap race, Percat continued his love affair with the Sydney circuit to back up his triumph at the same venue three weeks ago.

In less than a month, Percat has doubled his Supercars career win tally from the previous nine years.

Before his third career victory last month, Percat's previous Supercars race win came at the 2016 Adelaide 500.

Percat won the Bathurst 1000 on debut in 2011 and began his full-time driving career in 2014.

RESULTS FOR SUNDAY'S RACE ONE

1. Nick Percat (Holden)

2. Fabian Coulthard (Ford)

3. Scott McLaughlin (Ford)

4. James Courtney (Ford)

5. Chaz Mostert (Holden)

RESULTS FOR SUNDAY'S RACE TWO

1. Jack Le Brocq (Ford)

2. Andre Heimgartner (Ford)

3. Todd Hazelwood (Holden)

4. David Reynolds (Holden)

5. Scott Pye (Holden)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER THREE COMPLETED ROUNDS

1. Scott McLaughlin 802 points

2. Jamie Whincup (Holden) 695

3. Chaz Mostert (Holden) 610

4. Nick Percat (Holden), Cameron Waters (Ford) 569

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