Team boss says McLaughlin cheat text was ‘joke’
MOTORSPORT: A “joke” remark about the validity of Scott McLaughlin’s Bathurst 1000 win can be revealed as the text message that kickstarted the latest Supercars feud.
News Corp exclusively obtained the allegedly abusive comment Walkinshaw Andretti United boss Ryan Walkinshaw sent to the DJR Team Penske driver after the Sandown 500 this month.
“It is so unfair they caught you guys for cheating,’’ Walkinshaw wrote in a text message sent to Scott McLaughlin.
Claimed to be a “bit of banter’’ that was sent as a response
a comment made by McLaughlin earlier that day, the Ford driver replied by declaring he was glad he knocked back an offer to sign with Walkinshaw Racing in 2016.
Walkinshaw yesterday fronted up to set the record straight following a claim that he had not abused McLaughlin.
The allegation emerged after Holden driver Nick Percat compared McLaughlin to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
“It is disappointing that it is the end of the season and with so much good going on in the sport we are here putting focus on a bit of scuttlebutt between people in the Supercars paddock,’’ Walkinshaw said.
“To make it clear we are all a big family here. We race hard against each other but 99.9 of the time we work closely with each other for the betterment of the sport. But like every family we have disagreements, and this is a massive mountain made out of a molehill.’’
Walkinshaw admitted to sending the text message that has caused the controversy as a square up for a comment made by McLaughlin during the final day of the Sandown 500.
“Scott said some negative things about me at Sandown and I sent him a bit of a jokey response,’’ Walkinshaw said.
McLaughlin refused to comment about the text exchange.
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