‘At each others throats for the next 10 years’: Supercars’ newest rivalry is born

Freshly minted Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin and Red Bull rival Shane van Gisbergen are set to add to the sport’s rich history of feuds, with the pair to lock horns for the next decade.

Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen are set for a decade-long rivalry. Picture: Tim Hunter

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So how many Chicken McNuggets fit inside a Supercars trophy?

Glad you asked.

“We jammed 40 in there,” laughs Scotty McLaughlin, silverware gripped tight in his right hand.

And as for beers?

“Ah, on my end there was a few,” the 25-year-old continues, grinning.

“But exactly how many, I can’t say. I'm pretty sure a couple were poured in when I wasn't looking.”

Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen are set for a decade-long rivalry. Picture: Tim Hunter

Greeting The Daily Telegraph on Monday morning after only two hours sleep — and who knows how many more by the time you read this — new Supercars champ McLaughlin admits his life “has changed forever” after jagging Australia's most prestigious motorsport gong.

Better, the driver Ford great Dick Johnson has dubbed ‘The Matador’ — as in, the man who brought down Red Bull — says Supercars fans can expect he and arch rival Shane van Gisbergen “to be at each others throats” for the next 10 years.

Which is why, after taking his new trophy on something of a journey Sunday night — which included slipping behind the counter of a Newcastle Maccas — McLaughlin insisted his biggest challenge now was keeping it from not only ‘The Gis’, but a Red Bull franchise boasting eight of the past 11 titles.

Which sounds a little like: Ding, ding.

Scott McLaughlin with the championship trophy.

Especially when you recall how, coming into last weekend’s Newcastle 500 finale, McLaughlin not only confirmed a rivalry did exist between he and SVG, but stressed there would be some choice words Sunday night for the fellow Kiwi who, at a recent Auckland meet, deliberately trapped him in his car.

So as for what was said?

“Look, Shane and I had a chat and we're good,” McLaughlin shrugs of the man he beat for the title.

“No, we don't get on 100 per cent of the time.

“But we're mature enough and game enough to get on with things.

“So there'll be times when we have hissy fits, blow up at each other, stand up for our teams. And that's what we're supposed to do.

Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen in Newcastle. Picture: Getty

“At the end of the day we're two guys racing for the same piece of bitumen."

But what about the whole being trapped in your car thing?

“There's no point blowing up about it now," McLaughlin stresses, “because we're going to be at each other's throats for the next 10 years.”

And for that, Supercars fans, officials, everyone should be extremely grateful.

Elsewhere, McLaughlin also spoke about how it felt to win the Supercars title after falling agonisingly short in 2017.

“I'm a champion now,” he says. “And nobody can ever take this away from me.

“You know, my name will forever be etched onto this trophy. It's the coolest part of this whole thing, it changes your life forever.

“Now whenever I'm at a function, knowing people will say '2018 Supercars champion' … that's incredibly special.”

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Originally published as ‘At each others throats for the next 10 years’: Supercars’ newest rivalry is born