Photo: Supercars

Triple Eight fails with Newcastle appeal

Triple Eight has lost its appeal against the decision to exclude Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney from the opening race of the Supercars season in Newcastle.

Defending champion van Gisbergen had beaten team-mate Feeney to the line in a 1-2 finish in the first race of the Gen3 era before the two Chevrolet Camaros were excluded for a technical breach.

That breach was over the incorrect positioning of a dry ice radiator in the car, which was placed on the drivers side rather than the passenger side.

The team insisted it had sought permission to run the system in that manner but was excluded from the race following protests by both Tickford Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United – with Triple Eight immediately appealing the decision.

Following a three hour hearing in Melbourne, the initial penalty was upheld which means Cam Waters is confirmed as the winner of race one.

“Motorsport Australia can confirm Triple Eight Race Engineering’s appeal has been heard and dismissed, and cars 97 and 88 are disqualified from race one of the Newcastle 500,” a statement from Motorsport Australia read.

“Tonight’s hearing was held in Melbourne at Motorsport Australia House in Canterbury, beginning at 6pm and concluding at 9.30pm.

“A three-person panel was convened to hear the appeal. The three members are Walter Sofronoff KC, Steve Chopping and Ross Jackson.

“A full and substantiative decision paper will be published by close of business on Friday and posted on the Motorsport Australia website in full.”

Whilst that means full details of the hearing have yet to be made public, Triple Eight said it respected the outcome despite being ultimately disappointed at the lost win.

“Triple Eight are disappointed in the decision to uphold the team’s disqualification of both cars from Race 1 of the Newcastle 500 for a technical breach,” a further statement revealed.

“The team maintains our position that we were given an instruction allowing us to install the cooling boxes in a place that conferred no performance advantage at all, but respects the outcome delivered by the Supercars National Court of Appeal.

“Our sole focus now shifts to the upcoming Melbourne 400 [SuperSprint], and the remainder of the 2023 Supercars Championship season.”