Gold Coast points penalty drops DJR in teams' championship
This story has been updated with the official Motorsport Australia findings.
DJR drops in teams' championship with dual 50-point penalties
Brodie Kostecki eliminated from Finals on the Gold Coast
DJR seventh in standings behind Team 18, BJR
The Shell V-Power Racing Team has dropped to seventh in the teams' championship following points penalties at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
It had already been a challenging weekend for the team, with Brodie Kostecki crashing twice before being knocked out of the Repco Supercars Finals Series. Will Davison, meanwhile, was taken out of contention early in Sunday's race.
The Stapylton squad was forced into overnight repairs, with the damaged Kostecki chassis taken to the DJR workshop to be stripped before further works at PACE Innovations.
Kostecki returned to the track on Sunday after a brilliant overnight effort, but the 2023 Supercars champion was unable to secure a Semi Final berth.
The championship points have since updated, with DJR now seventh.
The penalties were for a breach of Rule D26.6.1.6 b), which states: "The refilling of a Refuelling Tower is not permitted... During any race where the scheduled distance is less than 260km."
Refilling towers is not permitted in 250km races as it gives a faster flow rate. Per the stewards report, DJR was twice fined $2500 and twice docked 50 points.
The penalties drop DJR to seventh in the teams’ championship behind Brad Jones Racing, which claimed a Sunday podium through Andre Heimgartner.
DJR was 28 points ahead of BJR before the penalties were applied, but is now 72 points ahead in seventh. Team 18 retains fifth, and is 177 points ahead of DJR.
Team 18 wasn't without penalty, though, with Anton De Pasquale losing a Finals berth after being penalised over a late-race clash with Blanchard Racing Team's James Courtney. De Pasquale was also pinged five seconds post-race on Saturday for shortcutting the chicanes in the closing laps.
Adding insult to injury, the incoming GM homologation team were also docked 30 teams' points and $1500 for a pit lane breach on Saturday, namely when the #18 Camaro was dropped from it's air jacks with the fuel hose still engaged.
It wasn't the first penalty of the weekend for the DJR either, which after Friday, was handed dual $500 fines for failing to complete and upload control damper and tyre logs.
It comes after a double disqualification in Tasmania, before DJR copped $3000 in fines and was docked 30 teams’ championship points following two pit stop rule breaches in Townsville.
The 2025 Repco Supercars Finals Series resumes at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on November 14-16. Tickets for the Semi Final are on sale now.
