Photo: V8 Supercars

Emotions running high after Townsville incidents

There were numerous incidents in the three Townsville V8 Supercars races with emotions running especially high after one involving Charlie Schwerkolt Racing’s Jack Perkins and Nissan Motorsport’s Todd Kelly.

Perkins had passed Kelly at turn two without contact into the corner. But the two came together at the exit of the corner, with Kelly turning Perkins into the barriers, a move leaving team owner Charlie Schwerkolt fuming.

“I am pissed off that two guys are fighting for 20th spot, Jack cleanly passes Todd, and he deliberately tagged him into the wall,” said Schwerkolt to v8supercars.com.

The team was able to get Perkins’ car together for the next race and the stewards awarded Kelly with a 35-point deduction and a four-position grid drop.

“It was unnecessary, Todd could have avoided it and it has cost me around $50,000. In that situation I don’t think a points penalty suffices … in any sport in a situation like that you are on the bench. If the discretion is bad enough he should sit the next race out, and that incident is bad enough. He has done it plenty of time before,” said Schwerkolt.

Kelly on the other hand did not want to accept blame for the incident.

”When a car is damaged I know exactly what that is like to deal with financially and for the crew. But at the end of the day there was a little bit of stuff going on there and I think the (CS Racing) guys need to have a good look at their in-car and have a bit of think before they say anything they probably shouldn’t. When was the last time I drove someone into the wall or was accused of that?” said Kelly.

Two other drivers received penalties after the weekend as well with Craig Lowndes getting 25 points taken away after his contact with James Courtney, as well as a two-position grid drop for careless driving after making contact with Garth Tander.

Erebus Motorsport driver Will Davison was given the same penalty as Lowndes after his incidents with Volvo driver Scott McLaughlin and Lowndes.

The grid penalties for all drivers mentioned above were issued during the race weekend at Townsville.