Three teams were fined for personnel breaches in Taupo. Image: InSyde Media
Blanchard Racing Team, Grove Racing and Team 18 were all found to have had more than the eight permitted people at the track on Thursday during set-up for the Taupo event.
BRT and Grove Racing were hit with $750 fines, while the latter was also docked 30 teams’ championship points for conducting pit stop practice on Thursday.
Team 18, meanwhile, was fined $2000.
Somewhat confusingly the eight-person limit wasn’t included in any version of the supplementary regulations, although the respective stewards reports outline that it was communicated to teams via email.
“In October 2025 Supercars decided to limit the number of team personnel who would be permitted at the track on the Thursday before certain race meetings, including the ITM Taupo Super440,” read the report.
“The intention was to limit personnel on site on the Thursday to eight. The aim was to limit the teams’ travel expenses.
Win a limited edition 1:18 scale model #8 BJR Camaro. Enter Now.
“On 20 October 2025 a logistics schedule was sent to Supercars commissioners. The schedule contained the following as relates to the Taupo event: ‘8 Skeleton crew (inc engineers) Fly WED. Remainder of crew fly THURS’.”
That logistics schedule was then sent to teams, with follow-ups on November 12, January 19 and March 19, the final one reading, “as a reminder, and in line with the commission’s cost saving directives, the following travel arrangements remain in place for the Taupo event” before reiterating the eight-person limit.
In the cases of BRT and Grove Racing the team representatives argued that former CEO James Warburton had, in private conversations, indicated that the personnel limits were advisory and not mandatory.
Supercars countered that, indicating that it was “unlikely that Mr Warburton would have said that the relevant entries in the schedule were advisory only”.
The stewards, however, accepted those conversations with Warburton happened and outlined they “[mitigate] against the severity of the breach”, hence the relatively mild fines.
Team 18 couldn’t lay claim to any conversations with Warburton, instead arguing that the directive only prohibited more than eight people unloading and setting up pit booms.
That was rejected by the stewards, who found that, ‘when read reasonably and sensibly, the schedule clearly prohibits the presence of more than eight personnel on site on Thursday 9 April 2026’.
That was why Team 18’s fine was bigger than the other two teams, although again was somewhat mitigated by claims through all three hearings that other teams were also bending the rules.
“Team 18 is in a different situation,” read the stewards report.
“There was no communication with Mr Warburton, but the only activity was unloading and setting up etc. While some teams no doubt complied with the direction, there was a constant theme through all three hearings that compliance was not consistent.
“While the conduct of others is no defence, it does provide some mitigation.”
