PREMIAIR Racing has been punished for a clumsy tyre change during the Safety Car-induced pitstop frenzy last night at the Dunlop Sydney 500.
Jayden Ojeda was running 13th when he entered the lane but by the time he exited he was off the lead lap, following a mishap in which the #31 Camaro was released without one of its wheels attached.
That wheel quickly detached and rolled into the side of Zach Bates’ Matt Stone Racing Chevrolet.
PremiAir was stung with the standard penalty of a 30-point teams’ championship deduction and $1500 fine for failure to maintain control of all equipment/parts in a pitstop.
“The vision showed that the car controller dropped Car 31 during its Pit Stop before the rear right wheel was secured to the hub as a result of which the wheel left the Car and rolled towards the fast line colliding with the side of another Car,” observed the stewards report.
Walkinshaw TWG Racing had also been docked 30 teams’ championship points earlier on Saturday.
Declan Fraser brought home 13th for PremiAir, while Ojeda could salvage no more than 22nd.
“Unfortunately, we had a small error during the pit top and rolled out with three wheels, which obviously isn’t ideal,” said Ojeda.
“It all happened pretty quickly and from there we were on the back foot.
“Our only real option was to hang out and hope for a Safety Car once the field had cycled through their stops, to try and get back onto the lead lap, but it just never came.”
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