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Tickford docked points, fined over bungled stop

10 Sep 2022
Kostecki lost a wheel after a pit incident
3 mins by James Pavey
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Wheel ripped off in three-car pit stop bungle

Tickford Racing has been penalised championship points and fined over the Race 27 pit incident for Jake Kostecki.

Kostecki was released into the path of James Courtney’s sister #5 entry.

The #56 TRADIE Mustang lost its left-rear wheel in the process.

The incident also impeded Erebus Motorsport driver Brodie Kostecki.

Kostecki pulled up at pit exit where he was fitted with the wheel and returned to the race.

Stewards pinged Tickford to the tune of 30 teams’ championship points and $1500.

“On Lap 7 of the Race the rear left wheel of Car 56, Jake Kostecki, was seen on broadcast footage to have fallen off Car 56 when it was dropped in its Pit Bay to be released from its Pit Stop,” the stewards report reads.

“The wheel rolled across the fast lane coming to rest against the pit wall.

Race 27 Recap: ITM Auckland SuperSprint

“Another Car from the same team, Car 5, James Courtney, was baulked from entering the same Pit Bay and as a result Car 99, Brodie Kostecki, which was behind Car 5 was impeded.

“Car 56 attempted to continue down the Pit Lane on 3 wheels and stopped.

“The Team, Tickford Racing, having admitted that the Car Controller breached Rule D11.2.3 by releasing Car 56 in an unsafe condition (for which the Team is responsible under Rule A4.4), the Stewards imposed a Penalty of a Fine in the sum of $1500 and Loss of 30 Teams Championship Points.”

The #55/#56 Tickford crew retains 10th in the championship.

However, PremiAir Racing is now just two points behind.

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Stewards took no further action over the Turn 1 incident which ended Tim Slade’s race.

Slade collided with Courtney at the first corner, with James Golding and Nick Percat diving down the inside.

Slade slid across the front of Courtney’s car and corrected, but sustained race-ending damage.

Slade's high-speed scare with Courtney

Stewards deemed no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame.

“Contact occurred between Car 3, Tim Slade, and Car 5, James Courtney, as a result of which Car 3 sustained suspension damage and was unable to continue in the Race and Car 5 sustained panel and tyre damage,” stewards explained.

“A review of broadcast footage revealed that Cars 31 [James Golding], 2 [Percat], 5 and 3 were in a row of 4 Cars approaching Turn 1, with Car 31 on the inside and Car 3 on the outside.

“There was insufficient space for all 4 Cars through Turn 1 and as a result contact occurred.

“No Driver was considered to be wholly or predominantly to blame for the Incident and for that reason it was not referred to the Stewards.”

A number of drivers were also penalised for exceeding pit lane speed limit, which is 40km/h.

Brodie Kostecki had a 15-second penalty applied to his race result for not having the speed limiter activated during his Saturday stop.

Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale were both fined $350 for exceeding the limit in Practice 2.

Andre Heimgartner was fined $750 having been clocked at 63/km/h in Practice 1.

Percat was also fined, albeit to the tune of $250, from Friday’s session.

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