Photo: supercars.com

James Courtney penalised for post-race contact with Richie Stanaway

James Courtney has been given a 1000 AUD fine for hitting Richie Stanaway after the finish of the first Supercars championship race at Hidden Valley Raceway.

Prior to that incident, the two came together in the final corner of the final lap, with Tickford Racing driver Stanaway bumping Courtney off line to gain a position.

Stanaway was given a five-second penalty for the incident that triggered Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Courtney to hit him on the cool-down lap.

“I didn’t turn into him, I was driving beside him, he turned into me. There’s no point talking to that buffoon, I’ll just do my own thing,” said Courtney to supercars.com.

Stanaway states he thought Courtney had an issue with his car before the finish of the race.

“I thought he had an issue with his car or something. He was sort of blocking for the last three or four corners of the last lap, I tried to [dive] bomb him into the last corner and then he covered me,” said Stanaway.

“I bumped into him, he ran wide and when the tyres are so old at the end of a stint like that, if you bump someone they’re never going to get drive onto the straight. Obviously he got passed and he wasn’t too happy about it, because he fed me off on the in-lap.

“But to be honest we’re fighting for 80th position, it’s not like it matters. I wasn’t too bothered about it.”