What caught out Triple Eight, Penrite Racing in pit stops
Triple Eight swings change, Penrite Racing penalised over loose wheel
Leading Ford teams lost crucial points in Christchurch Saturday races
Triple Eight changes rattle gun for Sunday's 200km race
Leading teams Red Bull Ampol Racing and Penrite Racing both enter Christchurch Sunday on the back of pit stop issues, of which both teams are confident have been rectified.
Triple Eight suffered rattle gun issues in consecutive races on Saturday, implicating Broc Feeney and Will Brown.
The first instance saw Feeney drop behind teammate Brown in the first race, prompting team orders discussions over the radio as the race wore on, given Brown jumped Feeney in the pit cycle.
Come Saturday’s second race, and Brown was delayed after another rattle gun jammed.
It forced Triple Eight crew to quickly shift to another gun to service Brown and send him back into the race. The #888 Ford finished 13th, after starting 16th.
While the cover on the rattle gun was the suspected issue in the Feeney stop, another rattle gun suffered an internal failure in the second race.
Triple Eight confirmed to Supercars.com it has replaced the affected rattle gun for Sunday’s 200km race.
In the day’s first race, Matt Payne dropped out of contention after a loose wheel parted company following his pit stop. Payne was forced back into the lane for another wheel, and finished 19th.
Given the wheel wasn't secured and Payne was sent back onto the track, Penrite Racing was docked teams’ championship points and fined.
Per the stewards report: "The vision showed Car 19 was serviced in the Pits and both rear wheels were changed. The right rear was not properly secured and separated from the Car once back on Track.
"The Stewards conclude that the Car was released in an unsafe condition and the Penalty is consistent with other Penalties imposed for similar incidents."
The penalty cost Penrite Racing ground in the hunt to overhaul Red Bull Ampol Racing in the teams’ championship, with the teams separated by 73 points heading into Sunday.
In Saturday's second race, Kai Allen lost time over what Penrite Racing Head of Performance Alistair McVean described to Supercars.com as simple crew confusion.
Penrite Racing crew initially went to change the left front, before moving to the left rear. Allen had started fourth, and finished seventh.
Race 12 winner Payne, thought, was in no mood to blame his team over his loose wheel incident.
"I'm not one to go the back into the garage, and kick up a fuss. That's not gonna help anyone," the 2025 Bathurst winner said in the press conference.
“When I get out the car and see my right-rear tyre changer and he’s already been upset, I'm not going to start launching in there saying, ‘what are you doing?’
“The first thing I’m going to do is put my arm around him, because he deserves. I’ve seen him do good pit stops. It's just about trying to eliminate what happened in the past and focus on the future, which we did.
“He nailed the stop, all the guys did, all the wheels were tight… it’s just about picking ourselves up and getting ready for the next race, because the turnaround here is crazy fast.”
Dramas haven't been isolated to Triple Eight and Penrite Racing, though, with rival Ford squad Shell V-Power Racing Team swinging an engine change on Brodie Kostecki's car after a wild off in Race 12.
Drivers will be stationary for longer fuel stops in Sunday’s race, which commences at 3:05pm local time/1:05pm AEST.
