Supercars jokers fire up in Townsville

Monday, 8 July 2019:

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN driver of the Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Falcon FGX celebrates after winning the Ipswich SuperSprint, which is part of the Supercars Championship at Queensland Raceway in Ipswich, Australia.
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN driver of the Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Falcon FGX celebrates after winning the Ipswich SuperSprint, which is part of the Supercars Championship at Queensland Raceway in Ipswich, Australia.


They're renowned as two of the jokers of the Supercars pack but there's not much laughing going on between Scott McLaughlin and David Reynolds.

McLaughlin was fuming after an opening-lap collision with Reynolds in Sunday's rain-lashed 200km race on the streets of Townsville.

The DJR Team Penske ace, chasing a seventh-straight win, was forced to pit with a puncture after the collision.

He worked his way back to finish 11th but was unsatisfied after confronting Reynolds, post-race.

"In those kinds of conditions, everyone was just managing risk in those tricky conditions, and Reynolds was the opposite, being a desperado," McLaughlin said.

"There was no gap there, but he stuck his nose in and not only hurt my race but ruined his own too.

"I finished in front of him, and built the gap so it didn't really work out for him."

The opening-lap incident was one of several in a crazy finish to the Townsville 400.

Holden star Jamie Whincup crashed out in lap 20, before Red Bull Holden Racing Team stablemate Shane Van Gisbergen won the race under safety car ahead of McLaughlin's teammate and main championship rival Fabian Coulthard.

It means Coulthard heads into the Ipswich SuperSprint later this month 292 points behind McLaughlin in the title standings.

Coulthard began his weekend with an announcement he'd signed a new deal to stay next year with DJR Team Penske.

He said the news allowed him to focus solely on his title ambition, especially after grabbing a podium in his 400th Supercars race start.

"To lock my deal away at this point in the year is fantastic," Coulthard said.

"I can just focus on just racing until the end and not worry about what's going on next year and so on."






AAP