Scott McLaughlin watches the Bathurst 1000 from America these days, and it clearly stings a little. He knows what winning at Mount Panorama feels like, and he knows who he’d want next to him if he ever went back. The trouble is that Shane van Gisbergen, the man he spent years battling in Australian Supercars, now has a NASCAR career of his own to look after.

McLaughlin was asked on SPEED with Harvick and Buxton (the comments were shared by SpeedOnFox on X) about races he still wants to try. Le Mans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours came up first.

“I’d love to race Le Mans. I would love to just do it and say I’ve done it and give it a crack. Nurburgring 24 hours is something that’d be pretty cool.

“The event itself, you know, it’s one race a year where I probably miss home a little bit.”

Bathurst changed the tone of the conversation. It wasn’t another box to tick. It was the one he misses, and he had a clear picture of how he’d like to return.

“My ultimate dream honestly would be to go back with Shane and run a wildcard with him. He can’t do it because of NASCAR right now, but that would be my want.

“I’d love to go back with him in a wildcard.”

The catch is obvious. McLaughlin drives for Team Penske in IndyCar, and van Gisbergen races for Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Both have built good lives in America, but the old Australian rivalry is still part of how people see them. McLaughlin doesn’t only want to go back to Bathurst. He wants to share a car with the driver he used to have to beat.

That history is what makes the idea so appealing. McLaughlin won the 2019 Bathurst 1000 with Alexandre Prémat, holding off van Gisbergen and Garth Tander in a tight finish. It was one of the defining moments of a Supercars career that included three straight championships, from 2018 to 2020.

Shane Van Gisbergen was no occasional threat either. He’s a three-time Supercars champion and has won the Bathurst 1000 three times. For years, these two New Zealanders were the drivers everyone expected to fight for the biggest prizes in Australian touring car racing.

Then McLaughlin left for America at the end of 2020. Van Gisbergen took a different route.  He made a stunning NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2023, winning at the Chicago Street Course, and later moved into a full-time seat. Their paths split, but both ended up near the top of their new series.

So a wildcard entry would be more than a nostalgic reunion. Both have won at Mount Panorama, but they haven’t gone back together since building their American careers. Instead of racing each other for the win, they’d have to work as a pair through a long endurance race, where traffic, pit stops and changing conditions can wipe out hours of good work.

Nothing is guaranteed, of course. McLaughlin was describing an ambition, not a confirmed entry. Still, he made his preference plain: if he does go back, van Gisbergen is the one he wants beside him.

What stands in the way

On paper, McLaughlin’s calendar looks like it has a window. IndyCar usually wraps up in September, and the Bathurst 1000 is held in October. That gap seems big enough for a trip home, but the end of a racing season isn’t really time off.

McLaughlin has said Team Penske comes first. Post-season testing, sponsorship arrangements and manufacturer commitments all have to be considered. IndyCar’s upcoming IR-28 car for 2028 adds another layer, and preparation for it will likely make the lead-up to that season especially busy.

He hasn’t ruled out looking into it. His suggestion is to sound out the relevant parties and see where they stand. That’s a sensible first step, but it’s a long way from having a team, a car and a co-driver lined up.

Van Gisbergen’s obstacle is more obvious. The NASCAR Cup Series runs a 36-race schedule, and its autumn races overlap with the time Bathurst is traditionally held. Trackhouse would have to decide whether it makes sense to release its full-time driver for an international wildcard in the middle of a championship campaign. He can’t just walk away from his NASCAR duties because a door has opened in Australia.

The 2026 Bathurst 1000 was run, from October 8 to 11, so any return would mean planning around a later edition. 2027 is a possible target, not a confirmed plan.

You can see why McLaughlin keeps coming back to it. He’s already won the race, built a new career in America, and proven himself in a very different kind of car. What he misses is the event itself, and the chance to go back with someone who was there for those Australian battles.

NASCAR may be what keeps van Gisbergen from making it happen right now, and Team Penske’s demands could be just as decisive for McLaughlin. Until both of them can find room in their schedules, the wildcard remains a wish. If they ever do get back to Bathurst together, it’ll be a very different contest from the one McLaughlin won in 2019.