McLaughlin gunning for Pole Award

While Jamie Whincup will be looking to stitch up the Championship at Phillip Island, now holding a 405-point lead, he is locked in another battle that is well and truly on.

Tied with Whincup with eight pole positions for 2014 is young gun Scott McLaughlin. Having only earned his first pole in a V8 Supercar this year, the ARMOR ALL Pole Award - for the most p1 starts earned in a season - would mean a great deal to the 21-year old.

The two have fought from the front row many times in 2014, in a Holden versus Volvo battle.

"It's been pretty cool to be able to do what we've done and be fast and up the front," McLaughlin told v8supercars.com.au.

"To be honest, it's a bit of a surprise challenging for poles because, for one, I didn't have a pole before I came into V8 Supercars this year, even in the Dunlop Series. And then obviously a couple of [places] I struggled with in qualifying last year.

"So for us to be contesting for the pole award and be one of the best qualifying people this year, it's pretty cool."

But it's not just the qualifying result the 21-year old is focusing on, with McLaughlin hoping to rock the top five in the Championship in the final two events, with 600 points are still up for grabs. That battle is well and truly on, with a handful of drivers in contention.

Coming off a podium finish at the Gold Coast with close friend and co-driver Alex Premat, McLaughlin is back on track, after a pit lane issue and driving error cost the two at Sandown and Bathurst, where the #33 S60 also looked strong.

"I think we've got a very good chance of getting into the top five for the Championship," he said.

"With that race on the weekend, it definitely helped our Championship cause, so I think we're about 100 and something points behind the top five. We should be pretty good. At the end of the day I'm pretty proud of where we're at, contesting for the top five - it's no mean feat. To be honest, I'm pretty stoked."

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner and fellow young gun Chaz Mostert is also targeting the top five, having moved up to six with 12 points over seventh-placed James Courtney, with McLaughlin in eighth.

Fabian Coulthard is fifth, but is only 45 ahead of Mostert, and 173 in front of McLaughlin.

But the S60 driver says he won't be focused on Mostert and the others in that group - he's looking to earn more wins across the remaining five races and show how strong the Volvo package has been in just its first season in V8 Supercars.

"I just try and win every race I go into," McLaughlin said.

"I'm obviously focused on getting the top five, but not really focused on those guys because they're not the guys winning the Championship - the guy winning the Championship is Jamie Whincup.

"He's the fastest so we know when we're in front of him we're doing a good job. So hopefully we can, at the end of the day be there or thereabouts."

The one question everyone is asking coming off the Gold Coast podium - have McLaughlin and Premat been surfing yet?

"Nah," the Kiwi laughed, despite this post on social media last week.

"Alex has already gone home, so that sucks a bit, but I haven't gone surfing, I think I need to bolt some fins on the board and then I might be able to do it!"

Fans can rest assured Premat took a surfboard trophy back home to France after his first podium in V8 Supercars and strong performance across the four races.