News: Ingall Curses Pit Lane Penalties While Morris Charges For Supercheap Auto Racing At Barbagallo
A promising weekend for Supercheap Auto Racing today turned into a disaster for Russell Ingall at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth, while team-mate Paul Morris produced a strong drive to come from 25th to 11th in the final 50 lap race after a difficult Race 2.
Starting 11th this morning, Ingall was delivering what he's promised all season and running strongly in fifth, but the former V8 champ's progress was curtailed when he received a drive-thru penalty for speeding in pit lane - the onboard data later showing he was within allowances.
Back on track and with it now raining, Ingall then had a coming together with Ford's Jamie Whincup, the side on impact breaking the steering on the #39 Supercheap Auto Commodore and putting an end to his race - officials later imposing a $5,000 fine for careless driving.
His luck didn't improve in Race 3; first Ingall was clipped by Jason Richards' Commodore in turn one, the damage to the right rear door requiring a longer stop than normal.
To make matters worse, Ingall then received yet another drive-thru for pit lane speeding - the breach again reported by pit lane officials using a hand held radar, with Ingall later venting his frustration.
Morris' start to the day was equally as frustrating, the #67 SCAR Commodore heading off the track and through the sand on lap 18 and requiring a long pit stop to remove sand from the radiator, eventually finishing down the list in 25th.
Undeterred, Morris made a number of setup changes before bouncing back in the final 50 lap race and charged to 11th by race's end.
Ford driver Mark Winterbottom clean swept the round, taking pole and winning all three races, while second placed Toll Holden Racing Team driver and reigning champion Garth Tander jumped into the series lead.
Morris finished 14th for the round, with Ingall ten places back in 24th position overall.
The next round of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series takes place at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne next month on the Queen's Birthday weekend - 7-9 June.
Russell Ingall, #39 Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE:
"[The pit lane penalties have] absolutely destroyed our weekend. What potentially could have been an excellent result was thrown out the window by wrong calls of speeding in pit lane, the telemetry saying otherwise and proving how badly we've been done by.
It's not the first time it's happened either, look at Lowndes and Ambrose at Oran Park a few years back, it potentially cost them the championship. Whether it's the radar operator or the gun I don't know, but it's got to be fixed.
The sport's not looking at the big picture; we're an entertainment and by pulling cars out of contention for trivial matters is just wrong. And once you've received the penalty there's no recourse, you can't get your position back despite the data proving you're right.
We can't have sponsors spending millions of dollars to have calls like that. I'm the one that has to go to Supercheap Auto and Holden tomorrow and explain why we were down the back. I promised them a good result, but I now look bad because I didn't deliver. It'll annoy them and if we continue to get it wrong it'll affect the sport."
Paul Morris, #67 Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE:
"Race 2 wasn't our greatest, I made a mistake in the wet which put us into the sand and wrecked our race. But I was pretty happy we were able to bounce back in Race 3 and get a strong result. I suppose the one good thing about starting back down the grid was we had nothing to lose so I changed the car quite a bit and it was really good - it was a bonus. Throughout the weekend I had a bit of understeer which I couldn't deal with and it was frustrating me, but then we thought 'let's do something', and we did and it turned out to be a really good thing, it was 95 per cent right."
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 4 - BigPond 400 (Race 2)
1. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
2. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE
3. Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF
4. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF
5. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE
6. Will Davison, Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon BF
7. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Motorsport Ford Falcon BF
8. Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore VE
9. Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
10. Shane Van Gisbergen, SP Tools Racing Ford Falcon BF
25. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE
DNF Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 4 - BigPond 400 (Race 3)
1. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon Bf
2. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE
3. Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF
4. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF
5. Will Davison, Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon BF
6. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE
7. Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
8. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Motorsport Ford Falcon BF
9. Fabian Coulthard, Glenfords Racing Ford Falcon BF
10. Cameron McConville, Team WOW Holden Commodore VE
11. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE
24. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 4 - BigPond 400 (Overall Results)
1. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF - 300
2. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore - VE, 270
3. Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF - 236
4. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone Ford Falcon BF - 234
5. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE - 210
6. Will Davison, Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon BF - 202
7. Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF- 200
8. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Motorsport Ford Falcon BF - 154
9. Fabian Coulthard, Glenfords Racing Ford Falcon BF - 138
10. Andrew Jones, Team BOC Holden Commodore VE - 132
14. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE - 106
24. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore VE - 70
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series Points (after four of 14 rounds): 1. Tander - 896; 2. R Kelly - 882; 3. Winterbottom - 872; 4. Whincup - 776; 5. S Richards - 721; 6. Lowndes - 711; 7. Davison - 640; 8. Holdsworth - 626; 9. Courtney - 577; 10; Coulthard - 569; 20. Ingall - 373; 22. Morris - 341.
