V8 Supercars : EIGHT CARS EXCLUDED FROM RACE THREE OF THE MSS SECURITY CHALLENGE IN MELBOURNE

Sunday 17 March 2013 12:57
By: V8 Supercars

BREAKING: The MSS Security Challenge has been thrown into chaos following an accidental breach of the technical rules by eight cars from yesterday's third race.

The cars of Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jonathon Webb, Scott Pye, Dean Fiore, Todd Kelly and Michael Caruso have all been excluded from the third race.

The official podium from race three is now Fabian Coulthard, David Reynolds and Jason Bright.

Stewards were busy re-setting the grid for the fourth race as the news broke. Many of those cars were in contention to win the MSS Security Challenge.

The breaches were inadvertent and involved an accidental setting of the ignition timing which breached the rules. It was picked up by V8 Supercar technical staff following the third race.

Nissan Motorsport team owner Todd Kelly said: "The weekend was going pretty much superbly until that news and it's a real shame. It's obviously a penalty that has to be applied, they're the rules and unfortunately there's been an oversight on two of our cars, which has caused us to be in breach of those rules.

"It's hard to be too tough on anybody here for that because of the hours the boys have been doing and the time we've spent on the dyno and trying to turn all the engines away for this weekend you could easily see how that oversight could have crept in.

"The actual breach is of no real significance whatsoever performance wise, but it is a breach of the rules , so I respect the action that they've taken, it's just a shame that it's happened, so we'll definitely be tightening up our procedures in the future to ensure it doesn't happen again."

V8 SUPERCARS : Kiwi Coulthard dedicates Grand Prix success to JR

Kiwi Coulthard dedicates Grand Prix success to Jason Richards

Two years ago the late Jason Richards was the story of the MSS V8 Supercar Security Challenge at the Rolex Formula One Grand Prix.

With his wife Charlotte and kids watching it was no surprise that his former team led by Kiwi Fabian Coulthard and Jason Bright wanted to make a mark here.

They both did with a dominating four races over the weekend. The fourth and final race might have been won by another Kiwi in rookie Scott McLaughlin but it was Coulthard's weekend in the Lockwood Racing Commodore, closely followed by Bright in the Team BOC Holden.

Despite pre-race dramas when eight cars were disqualified from the penultimate race it made no difference to Coulthard and Bright who had already laid the foundations of the weekend victory.

Bright choked up afterwards as Charlotte Richards joined the team under the podium, evoking the joy and the tears when Richards scored his very last race win in V8 Supercars before ultimately being claimed by a rare cancer some eight months later.

The BJR cars still proudly carry the JR insignia and star, as they will for as long as the team races.

"I had my first pole position, first race win and first round win and there's no better person to dedicate it to than JR," Coulthard said.

"He is a good close friend and family member of BJR. After his success here a couple of years ago it could not have been better. Charlotte and the kids were here, it's a pretty emotional time.

"JR had massive success at BJR and massive success here. We all miss him. He is one of those blokes that will never be forgotten and it's unfortunate what has happened. What else can we say? I am sure he is looking at us, high fiving the both of us."

Coulthard started from the first row for the fourth race in a row but was happy not to push too hard, settling for third in the final race.

"You still give it a good shot but it was about minimising the risk. It's not about winning which would have been nice but it's about the bigger picture," he said.

"I always knew I had the ability to do it but to beat all these guys on the same day it's awesome for your confidence."

The pre-race dramas meant Pepsi Max Crew FPRs Will Davison ultimatelty finished third. The biggest loser from the race three disqualifications was Red Bull Racing Australia's Craig Lowndes who was most in contention for at least a podium.

The final race of the weekend was thrown into chaos following an accidental breach of the technical rules by eight cars from yesterday's third race.


The cars of Jamie Whincup, Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jonathon Webb, Scott Pye, Dean Fiore, Todd Kelly and Michael Caruso were all been excluded from the third race, forcing a revamp of the grid for race four.

The breaches were inadvertent and involved an accidental setting of the ignition timing which breached the rules. It was picked up by V8 Supercar technical staff following the third race.

"The weekend was going pretty much superbly until that news and it's a real shame. It's obviously a penalty that has to be applied, they're the rules and unfortunately there's been an oversight on two of our cars, which has caused us to be in breach of those rules," Nissan Motorsport team owner Todd Kelly said.

"It's hard to be too tough on anybody here for that because of the hours the boys have been doing and the time we've spent on the dyno and trying to turn all the engines away for this weekend you could easily see how that oversight could have crept in.

"The actual breach is of no real significance whatsoever performance wise, but it is a breach of the rules , so I respect the action that they've taken, it's just a shame that it's happened, so we'll definitely be tightening up our procedures in the future to ensure it doesn't happen again."

In another overnight development a post-race confrontation has cost James Moffatt a $5000 fine.
Moffatt was upset by an on-track incident with Scott Pye during yesterday's third race of the weekend, ending in a confrontation in the Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Garage.

Following an animated discussion Moffatt shoved Pye and then left the garage when he was also confronted by a LDM team member.

While V8 Supercars openly encourages drivers to show their emotion and passion, the rules clearly state that physical contact is not allowed.

It states: "A person must not intentionally make physical contact, which includes any type of assault with another person, except in self defence."

Moffatt was surprised by the decision and preferred not to comment, only saying that the contact was mild and not worthy of a discussion.

Of the $5000 fine $2000 was suspended until the end of the year.

V8 Supercars :ANALYSIS: WHAT DID WE LEARN ON SATURDAY?

By: V8 Supercars

SO.. we are now 78 laps and 250 kilometres into the brave new world of new-look V8 Supercars, four manufacturers and a new season of competitive tussling between some of the biggest names in Australian Motorsport.

But what exactly can we take out of yesterday’s opening leg of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide? V8Supercars.com.au has gone through the race one results with a microscope and, as a result, have come up with the following..

THE BEST ARE STILL (MOSTLY) THE BEST:

For the most part, the teams that did all the winning last year are still the ones to beat in 2013. Red Bull Racing Australia and Pepsi Max Crew Ford Performance Racing locked out the podium yesterday and whilst it was never as easy as it reads here – they remain the two strongest overall teams in the business based on what we’ve seen so far.

CRAIG LOWNDES LOVES THE NEW CARS:

“They probably suit my style a bit more, I can throw the around more and be aggressive. I like them!” So says a smiling Craig Lowndes after his dominant win yesterday.. and 27 other drivers should be very, very worried. Lowndes has been there and done that when it comes to new cars coming into the sport and continues to be one of the game’s most versatile and adaptable drivers – but something has clicked between the Queensland-based champion and his engineer, Jeromy Moore, this weekend.

If it is indeed the case that this is a car that could re-sort the pecking order at Triple Eight, not only could this year see the sport’s biggest name crack the ‘ton in overall victories – he could be well on the way to title number four, as well.

THIS YEAR WILL BE UNPREDICTABLE:

It might sound like a contradiction to our last point, but we’re convinced that what we saw yesterday does point towards a topsy-turvy kind of year.

Take Fabian Coulthard, for example. If there was ever a case of the new cars levelling the playing field so far, the story of Brad Jones Racing has been a shining beacon. Jason Bright was quickest at the pre-season test and Coulthard was in inspired form yesterday and would have finished on the podium had it not been for the brake issue that slowed his progress towards the end of the 78-laps. Early on, he led comfortably and consistently and his later battle with Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen was sensational. It was nice to see some new names, liveries and teams up the front – and that’s what we’re going to get more of this year.

The early reliability dramas weren’t as severe as some doomsayers predicted – but they will keep people guessing until teams and suppliers have a handle on how everything responds after being bashed over the turn two kerb 78 times on a sunny afternoon in Adelaide.

DRIVERS WILL BE GOING SHOE-SHOPPING ON MONDAY:

Drivers walking – or hobbling – away from their racing cars became a common sight yesterday afternoon. Lee Holdsworth, in particular, had issues with his shoes melting away on the hot cabin floors of his new Erebus AMG. But why is it only some who have the issue and, more pressingly, how come some teams have one driver with hot feet and one without – in the same cars?

Seems to be all part of the learning experience everyone is going through this weekend..

THE NEW TEAMS REALLY AREN’T FAR AWAY:

The results won’t show it, but yesterday’s performance by Nissan Motorsport, in particular, was a strong one. Yes, two cars spent serious time in the garage with mechanical issues, but that was to be expected – after all, it was the first time that they had been run for any extended ‘long run’ in race conditions.

But Rick Kelly’s 11^th position might just be the finest non top-10 finish of his career: The former champion ran competitively all day and the Jack Daniel’s Nissan Altima looked like it belonged. He finished on the lead lap and with competitive lap times and though they remain down on grunt – it’s obvious that a canny strategy call or a well-timed Safety Car could have at least one of the Nissan’s inside the ten today.

Down at Erebus, things weren’t quite so rosy, however Tim Slade’s performance yesterday needs a tip of the hat. It was as committed and as classy as we’ve come to expect from the talented South Australian and he deserved more than the 15^th place he ended with.

THE LITTLE GUYS HAVE A SHOT:

Scott Pye, driving the ekol Racing Holden for Lucas Dumbrell’s small Melbourne-based team, finished 13^th yesterday, 1m50s from the leader and the last car on the lead lap. However, had he not received a late drive-through penalty, he would have finished (more or less) 25 seconds further up the road.. and that would have put the South Aussie rookie well inside the Top 10. Yes, it is a Triple Eight-built car- but its proof that the new era of V8’s – at least in the early stages of the year – can throw up some real surprises and inject some new faces into the ten.

GARRY ROGERS WAS RIGHT. AGAIN:

Alex Premat finished fourth and Scott McLaughlin in sixth place. Both looked like they had been V8 front runners all their lives and we continue to remain in awe of Garry's talent-spotting abilities. Enough said.

THE CLIPSAL 500 ADELAIDE REMAINS THE BIGGEST SHOW IN TOWN:

It could be the appearance of Rock icons KISS, the sliding heroics of Internet sensation Ken Block or indeed, the first-up appearance of the new-look V8’s – but one thing is for sure, the Clipsal 500 Adelaide continues to be the grand daddy of V8 Supercar events.

Crowds are up nearly 10,000 across the three days of this year’s event, a staggering 80,200 pouring through the gates yesterday to take the three-day total to just over 191,000. With daily crowds up on average 3,500 people per day on the 2012 figures, it remains a real possibility that today’s attendance could crack 90,000 people.

The single day record for the event (and for V8 Supercars) was set in 2008, when 91,700 people attended.