Toll HSV Dealer Team's Rick Kelly has been confirmed as the 2006 V8 Supercar champion after a marathon appeal hearing today. The appeal hearing, which lasted over four hours, saw three stewards once more review the incident in race three at Phillip Island where Rick Kelly made contact with the back of Craig Lowndes' car.
This caused Lowndes' car to make contact with Todd Kelly, with Lowndes and Todd Kelly spinning before Lowndes' car was struck by Will Davison.
The incident badly damaged Lowndes' car while Kelly's was virtually unscathed, the subsequent drive-through penalty given to Kelly costing him far less time during the race than the bent steering cost Lowndes.
The two drivers had entered the race equal on points after 33 of 34 races. With Kelly finishing eleven places ahead of Lowndes in the final race, Kelly won the title.
As with the Investigating and Prosecuting Officer's review yesterday, the stewards today decided that the original decision of a drive-through penalty was the correct punishment for Kelly's actions, and that no further punishment was necessary. With the results remaining unchanged, Rick Kelly was confirmed (again) as this year's V8 Supercar champion.
Unfortunately what this does suggest is that if you happen to take out your oppponents in this sport, then the governing bodies will take only token actions. It's a step further down the slope; the thin end of the wedge.
RIP: Sportsmanship, gone to join Nobility and Fairness.
4 comments:
It wasn't only the impact between Rick Kelly and Lowndes that had the stench of "fixative" about it.
The behaviour of the HSV and Toll teammembers also failed to impress, thier blocking tactics against Lowndes were clumsy and obvious, the penalties for them were too slow in coming.
Rick Kelly and Holden may have the Cup but it will prove to be a poison chalice from a marketing and promotions point of view, thier reputations are well on the nose
I rarely watch motorsport but happened to see this extremely poor piece of sportmanship. shame holden shame, and shame on the panel who have done such an abysmal job of referreeing.
truly uninspiring stuff......
At least Craig Lowndes was triumphant at the V8 Supercars awards night only hours after the stewards' decision. And he won Bathurst - which more people will remember.
Alan Moffat once said:
The Touring Car Championship is merely a warmup for Bathurst
Winning the title does entitle you to put the number one plate on the door, but I'd watch next year to see if there's a re-shuffle of drivers so that that precious plate is affixed on the HRT rather than their second team.
Then we'll see how blatantly cynical this all is. Only Holden would dare trump up four cars and then claim then as two teams.
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