Rivals turn up revs in social media stoush

Motorsport

THE war between DJR Team Penske and Erebus Motorsport has spilled into social media with the teams attacking each other in cyberspace.

In an escalation of the feud that has been raging since Scott McLaughlin and Dave Reynolds tangled in Townsville last year, Penske boss Ryan Story called out his Erebus counterpart after following a serial serving of “who cares” comments posted under stories featuring his two drivers.

News Corp Australia can reveal Erebus employees were behind the “who cares” campaign that saw team personnel posting derogatory comments on stories featuring McLaughlin and his Penske teammate, Fabian Coulthard.

A Facebook story featuring McLaughlin and Coulthard playing cricket even attracted the attention of Erebus boss

Barry Ryan with the Bathurstwinning co-owner chiming in with a “who cares” of his own.

The comment forced a reaction from DJR Team Penkse with the all-conquering team’s boss weighing in. “Nice work Baz,” Story wrote.

“We all work hard to activate and deliver value for our partners so we can keep going racing. I would never post a comment like this on a similar Erebus initiative. Never.”

The teams have been at war since Reynolds and McLaughlin collided in Townsville last year.

The feud erupted McLaughlin slammed as a “desperado” lunge that ended up both drivers out.

“Dave was just a desperado. He can say what he wants; I went down and saw him and he said I turned in or whatever,” McLaughlin said in a post-race interview.

Reynolds turned it when Reynolds for a taking into a war on the words when he launched the first of several verbal attacks.

“He is very precious these days,” he said. “It is a different Scott to what we knew years ago. That is what I feel anyway, but I don’t think I am alone.”

McLaughlin responded, of course.

The pair will resume the ontrack war — which is clearly being won by McLaughlin — on Saturday in Darwin when the championship resumes.