Double blow for Gray Ford with clutch issue, disqualification
Double blow for Rylan Gray Ford with clutch issue, disqualification
Gray racing the clock to take Thursday race grid with mechanical issue
DJR rookie facing disqualification from Race 5 qualifying results over breach
Shell V-Power Racing Team rookie Rylan Gray has suffered a double blow on Thursday at the Melbourne SuperSprint.
Question marks were raised over Gray before Thursday's race over a clutch issue. Reports on the clutch problems emerged before Thursday's race, with Gray qualifying 20th.
Gray followed the train of cars to the grid for Thursday's race, which will start at 5:00pm local time.
Later, it emerged that Gray is facing disqualification from Race 5 qualifying over a technical breach. According to Dick Johnson Racing, the team placed tape on an airbox temperature sensor, which constitutes a breach.
Motorsport Australia will release its findings in due course, confirming the outcome.
As a result, Gray will start from 24th, after initially qualifying 21st. It will promote Zach Bates, Jobe Stewart and Jayden Ojeda up one position each for Friday's race.
The team confirmed it has accepted the breach, claiming an oversight. DJR is also commencing works to repair the clutch for Friday's race, given the quick turnaround between qualifying and the race on Thursday.
"The Shell V-Power Racing Team acknowledges and accepts today’s decision from the Motorsport Australia Stewards regarding Car #38 in Qualifying for Race 5," a DJR spokesperson said. "Masking tape was put on an airbox temperature sensor to protect it while the mount was bonded to the airbox and it was not removed. This was an issue for Car #38 only and an inadvertent oversight by the team. "Throughout the qualifying session Car #38 also suffered a separate clutch issue that impacted the Shell V-Power Mustang’s overall speed – the car is now being prepared and will be ready for Friday’s opening race at Albert Park."
Cooper Murray was also penalised for passing Declan Fraser under yellow flag conditions in Race 4 qualifying.
The Erebus Motorsport driver initially qualified 10th, but will start 13th with the penalty. Andre Heimgartner, Will Brown and Jack Le Brocq all jumped up one position.
