Supercars 2019: McLaughlin-Reynolds spat a trip down memory lane

Off-track drama has long been a part of Supercars. 

The rivalries, the pit-lane confrontations, the battles on track are all part of what makes the championship such an intriguing and engaging spectacle.

The Peter Brock-Allan Moffat and Mark Skaife-Russell Ingall rivalries were fierce.

And who could forget Greg Murphy and Marcos Ambrose's on-track war of words, after crashing at Bathurst? 

How about Jim Richards shocking us all, when he called a partisan crowd at Bathurst a "pack of arseholes".

Jim Richards on the Bathurst podium in 1992.
Jim Richards on the Bathurst podium in 1992. Photo credit: Network 7

Supercars hasn't had that in recent times, but could Scott McLaughlin and Dave Reynolds add themselves to such a list?

What started in Townsville in round eight, where the pair clashed on the opening lap of race two, took a turn last weekend, when the Penrite Racing driver called the championship leader "boring" and "precious", after moving to his new team at Shell V-Power Racing.

The defending champion had the last laugh, winning both races and taking a dig of his own.

"Some people grow up some people don't," McLaughlin told a press conference, after the opening day's practice session. "I think you'll pick which one's grown up." 

Like passionate Supercars fans, some of the sport's best are enjoying the developing rivalry too.

"I'm loving it, I want it to continue," former Supercars driver, turned commentator, Greg Murphy told Newshub.

"We need to have that stuff going on in the sport, because it's healthy and it's good for it."

Seven-time champion Jamie Whincup agreed.

"There's a little bit of a rivalry starting between Dave and Scotty, which is not a bad thing," he told Newshub.

"There's not enough of that going on in our sport, we're a little bit too cleancut."

More than most, Whincup would know what McLaughlin's going through. He's dominated the Supercars championship for more than a decade and has even had a run-in or two along the way.

He's accustomed to people trying to knock him off the perch.

"Your mentality does change," he said. "You just want to go out there and race hard,  but the expectation, the workrate required off the track becomes far greater and if not managed correctly, it can go pear shaped."

Whincup believes what McLaughlin's starting to experience - people trying to pull him down - could be attributed to tall-poppy syndrome.

"Everyone loves the underdog, everyone loves the new young kid coming through and once you get to the top, there's the tall-poppy syndrome. They love to bring them down to the pack."

Whincup has no doubts McLaughlin, who has won 16 of 22 races this season, will be able to deal with the outside noise.

McLaughlin was also accused of being "corporatised", a statement the defending champion's teammate Fabian Coulthard defended.

"Driving for this team, it's very corproate and you can't be the larrikin," Coulthard told Newshub. "You have to be straight down the line and represent the sponsors in a professional manner. 

"We know that’s part of our job and our role, and we'll do the best we can for our sponsors."

Regardless, it seems the spat between the pair is alive and well, and is sure to add plenty of spice to the next round in Auckland in two weeks.

Newshub.

Join us on September 14/15 for live updates of the Auckland SuperSprint