Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin's racing rivals say his 2019 title will be "forever tainted" and compared the Kiwi to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Ford star McLaughlin was fiercely sledged on social media by Holden duo Scott Pye and Nick Percat on the eve of the season-ending Newcastle 500.
Pye landed the first blow on Instagram when he posted an article quoting McLaughlin saying he was "annoyed" with his peers following the fallout of his Bathurst sanction for using an illegal engine.
"Tired of seeing this rubbish. As one of his 'peers' I've never spoken to Scotty about this or been critical of the team," Pye said.