Photo: Supercars

Jack Smith handed $2,000 penalty, community service for missing photo op

By

Supercars rookie Jack Smith’s tough initiation to the main game has become even tougher after it was announced the Brad Jones Racing driver will have to pay a $2,000 fine and serve community service after missing the tradtional pre-season class photo in Adelaide.

Finishing 20th in his first full-time start in the Supercars championship, Smith had to serve a Pit Lane Penalty through the race for continuing to ignore blue flags towards the end of the 78 lap outing, holding up Shane van Gisbergen in the process.

His day got worse when the stewards released a statement tonight, saying that the 20-year-old missed the pre-season photo on Friday and will be punished for the incident.

“The DRD (Deputy Race Director) conducted an investigation following a report from the Supercars Media Manager that the Driver of Car# 4, Jack Smith, failed to attend the Driver Photo session on Friday 21 February 2020 in breach of Rule E8.1.3, the Event Supplementary Regulations and the Promotional Schedule,” the stewards statement read.

“The Driver having admitted to the breach and acknowledging that there was no reasonable excuse for his non-attendance, the Stewards imposed a Penalty on Jack Smith of a Fine in the sum of $2,000, all of which is suspended until 31 December 2020, and an obligation to perform five hours of work of public interest prior to 30 June 2020.

“Such work will include 1 hour in Race Control during a Dunlop Super 2 session and the balance to be at the direction and supervision of the Supercars Media Manager.”

Smith has previously made wildcard starts in the Supercars series for BJR, racing for the team over the past three years in Super2, posting a best round result of sixth in 2018.