Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin hasn’t ruled out one day racing in the US but has committed to the Australian championship for now.
McLaughlin has inked a new deal with DJR Team Penske, keeping him with the Ford outfit until at least the end of next year.
The 26-year-old, who has won 12 of 16 races in 2019 to head into this weekend’s Townsville 400 with a 319-point lead, said committing to a fourth-season with DJR was an easy decision to make.
“It was just a mutual decision. It wasn’t really talked about too much,” McLaughlin said.
“I just wanted to secure my future … get it done and know where we were going with the next bit.
“It was just a no-brainer to sign on, I didn’t have to worry about it.”
The new deal puts to bed immediate speculation McLaughlin will follow the path of former Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose by heading to America to pursue a career in NASCAR racing.
McLaughlin said there were no guarantees in his new deal of overseas racing opportunities, but it clearly remained a long-term goal.
“Things do happen eventually,” he said.
“It’s totally up to them. If the call comes, it comes.
“If not I’ll just keep doing an awesome job Down Under and enjoy my life here.”