HE'S already won a Bathurst 1000 and is a three-time Supercars champion, but when Scott McLaughlin arrives at the Mount next year expect "a more rounded racer."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's the opinion of Dick Johnson Racing's managing director Ryan Story, who is excited at the prospect of working with McLaughlin again in 2021.
While McLaughlin has made the switch from Supercars to IndyCars - a huge step in his career - he plans to be back for October's Bathurst 1000.
"This guy has got tremendous experience and he's going to come back to us, when the time comes, a more rounded racer," Story told the Parked Up podcast.
"He's got an amazing opportunity ahead of him, but for him to prioritise and want to come back to race at the mountain and race with us is something we are pretty chuffed about."
The Great Race will be the only enduro on next year's Supercars calendar and Story believes McLaughlin will not need any prior lap time in the Mustang before Bathurst.
He feels that his prior experience at the circuit should see him quickly readjust to racing a Supercar.
"I think if you go back over the past couple of years and have a look at his performances there, some of his one-lap performances, that lap in 2017, good God, I have certainly got Crompton and Skaife's commentary of that lap memorised in my head," Story said.
"In terms of getting him back to do a couple of co-driver sessions, I don't know if a three-time consecutive champion necessarily needs that."
While Story admits DJR is planning for a scenario which sees the COVID-19 pandemic prevent McLaughlin's return, they are confident he will be on the grid at the Mount.
"He's super pumped to come back, no doubt about it, but only a fool wouldn't have a back up plan in place ... certainly what 2020 has taught us is that we need to be prepared to react," Story said.
"Of course, we've always got back up plans and other thoughts in our mind of what could and what should occur if the worst case scenario were to transpire.
"[But] The plan right now is to have Scotty come back."