How Supercars now needs a new "human salt harvester"

Scott McLaughlin may be a lifelong Greg Murphy fan, bit his career trajectory is tracking much like that of Murph's most famous rival.

In the early-to-mid 2000s, Marcos Ambrose enjoyed a spell of dominance in Supercars in Australia before heading Stateside to live out his NASCAR dream. He was a hard racer, more interested in winning than making friends. His exit at the end of 2005 wasn't exactly met with universal disappointment from the drivers he left behind.

It's harsh, but the same can be said about McLaughlin as he bids farewell to Supercars and joins Team Penske's IndyCar line-up, as part of the US racing giant's exit from the Aussie scene. The Kiwi's relationship with the Supercars paddock has changed over the years. He was once a likeable kid constantly compared to Craig Lowndes thanks to his happy-go-lucky nature. You know, the guy who won hearts when he "gave it some jandal and f*** yeah" on TV after beating Jamie Whincup to second place in Adelaide.

But that's changed. Over time McLaughlin has become a polarising figure in the paddock. Without doubt there's been an element of tall-poppy syndrome. Jealousy has been a factor as some drivers have fallen out of love with McLaughlin. One of his fiercest rivals, David Reynolds, has admitted as much on more than one occasion.

But there's more to it. The likes of Whincup and Lowndes have shown you can win plenty without it creating a rift with the rest of the field.

The big change came in 2019. McLaughlin clearly felt all the talk about the Mustang's dominance undermined his own share of the credit for his winning streak, which ultimately turned his relationship with the paddock toxic.

The Bathurst 1000 scandal didn't help either. McLaughlin's insistence that he'd won the race "fair and square", when he'd clearly profited from the 'debris' saga - where team-mate Fabian Coulthard was told to slow down to back the pack up, using debris on track as a cover - understandably didn't sit well with the other drivers.

PLUS: The lingering questions from the Bathurst 1000 scandal

Whoever the McLaughlin successor is, it's important they bring a similar edge to their off-track game too

The cherry on top was his Bathurst pole-winning motor being deemed illegal after post-event checks, handing those who felt he should have been stripped of his win even more ammunition.

News of the illegal engine went public on the same day McLaughlin sealed his second Supercars title at Sandown. When he faced the media in the evening, he was visibly fed up with the whole show. When asked how he'd celebrate the title, he said: "I'll just go with my friends, away from this toxic paddock."

On the eve of the 2019 season finale in Newcastle a couple of weeks later, the stand-off between McLaughlin and his rivals went viral. When McLaughlin told the press he was 'annoyed with his peers' after the Bathurst controversies, Scott Pye took to Instagram: "It will forever be tainted and that isn't because of the other drivers' mentalities, it's because of your team's doing."

McLaughlin's response was to point out that the team had been scrutineered 325 times and only busted once. But Pye wasn't having it. "Lance Armstrong (most tested athlete) was caught once, but it ruined his whole career," he wrote. The exchange sent the paddock into a spin, Supercars forced to intervene with a letter to all drivers from CEO Sean Seamer warning them to use social media responsibly.

There's little doubt that things mellowed a bit in 2020. The pandemic has played its part, the problems of old now trivial compared to the challenges we've all faced this year.

There's also a sense that McLaughlin has become more accepting of his role as the category's ruthless winner. He's had himself listed as a "human salt harvester" on his social media profiles for much of the season. And his helmet has carried the message "winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners" all season. Perhaps he also feels vindicated by a stunning title win this year, free of any aero claims or Great Race controversies.

PLUS: Why McLaughlin is wrong to label 2020 as his best title

This all may sound intensely negative, but it's not. McLaughlin did a great deal for the category. His stint at DJRTP gave the Ford versus Holden rivalry a bitter edge it had been missing for years. It also gave long-suffering Blue Oval fans something to cheer for, after Triple Eight Holdens had won six of the seven championships up to 2017. What's important now is that somebody fills those McLaughlin-sized racing boots. Supercars needs to cross its fingers and hope somebody in the blue corner is ready to step up.

Tickford's Cam Waters is perhaps most likely to do so based on his epic Bathurst speed. If he can find the consistency to match his pace, particularly over a race distance, he could become Ford's new poster boy.

There's also hope that, even without the Penske investment and the McLaughlin X-factor, Dick Johnson Racing will retain its powerhouse status. If the driver market plays out as expected, Will Davison is a proven commodity and Anton De Pasquale is regarded by many as the category's next big thing.

It's equally important that, whoever the McLaughlin successor is, they bring a similar edge to their off-track game too. As Supercars faces its transition from Ford vs Holden to Ford versus Chevrolet, a little drama between the drivers could go a long way.