V8 WAR OF WORDS: HOLDSWORTH FURIOUS WITH STANAWAY’S ANTICS

A WAR of words has erupted between supercar drivers Lee Holdsworth and Richie Stanaway after a tumultuous round in Melbourne at the weekend and the pair are expected to pick up where they left off at round three of the championship at Symmons Plains next week.

Holdsworth labelled his rival an “imbecile” who could “hurt someone” after the pair tangled in two of the four races on the Melbourne Formula One grand prix undercard.

Stanaway copped a time penalty and $10,000 fine for his actions, and Mustang driver Holdsworth and his Tickford team were fuming over the clashes.

“I don’t know if he’s getting back at me or the team, I don’t know, but obviously he’s just an imbecile, an absolute imbecile.

“He tries to drive me into the fence every time he gets to me.

“I like a bit of fair racing, a bit of rubbing and touching, but it’s just ridiculous, the guy is going to friggin’ hurt someone. “He’s got rocks in his head.” Stanaway, of GRM Boost Mobile Racing, blamed Holdsworth for starting it by hitting his Commodore ZB.

“He dive-bombed me from about three or four car-lengths back on the first lap and ran me off the track at turn 13 and bent my steering,” said Stanaway. “My race was pretty much ruined before we even finished the first lap. He could have waited another corner or two.

“He’s obviously got a fast car at the moment, so no need to be ruining someone else’s race on the first lap.”

Tickets are selling strongly for the three-day event, which starts on the Friday with two practice sessions, practice, qualifying and a 50-lap race on the Saturday and practice, qualifying and a 84-lap race on the Sunday.