Nick Percat Ford damaged, Todd Hazelwood penalised
Drama continues for heavyweights as Toyota takes the lead
Zak Best given drive-through for Percat clash
The Broc Feeney/Nick Percat and Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood Fords have been taken out of early contention of the AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
After a wild start to the race, with Hazelwood bogging down and Percat spun around by Lee Holdsworth, both Mustangs’ races unravelled after a Shannons Safety Car period.
Percat clashed with Zak Best through Turn 3, sending both cars into a spin. Both cars were forced into the garage.
It was a brutal blow to the #88 Red Bull Ampol Ford, which suffered a suspected broken toe link. The Best Ford, meanwhile, was smashed by a drive-through penalty.
Quick repairs returned the Feeney/Percat Ford into the race on lap 39, albeit five laps down.
Feeney was far from impressed, saying: "Nick was flying, he had a second a lap on a lot of the guys at the back end of the first stint.
"It was crazy wet on that restart, and someone's just wobbled into the side of us. Really disappointing, we need some Safety Cars to help us out."
Motorsport Australia Race Control also advised that the Hazelwood Mustang had been handed a 15-second penalty over pit lane speed.
Hazelwood, who was carrying radio issues in the pole-sitting #17 Shell V-Power Ford, was adjudged to have breached the pit lane limit as he stopped under Safety Car conditions.
Per the stewards report, Hazelwood was clocked at 44 km/h at the Pit Entry timing loop zone.
At the front of the race, Fabian Coulthard propelled the #1 Mobil 1 Optus Toyota into the race lead after the dominant Tim Slade Ford ran off at Turn 1 on lap 37. Officials deployed the Safety Car for a second time eight laps later.
