Tekno Autosports will undertake a double engine change tonight after both of its cars struck trouble in Race 16 of the V8 Supercars Championship at Queensland Raceway today.
Jonathon Webb was forced out of the opening race at the Coates Hire Ipswich 300 with an internal engine problem, while his team-mate Michael Patrizi battled through with rising engine temperatures.
Patrizi’s #91 Tekno Commodore inhaled a large amount of dirt early in the race but survived the heat to finish 17th.
This is the first engine-related issue that the team’s KRE-built engines have faced this year, and Webb accepts the misfortune.
“It’s a little disappointing, but these things happen,” Webb told Speedcafe.com.
“The engines have been flawless in our cars all year. We haven’t had a single hiccup, but a small engine drama ended my race today, which is unfortunate.
“It started to go off early, and hung in there for the majority of it, but with 10 laps to go, it gave up the ghost and I coasted back to pit lane.
“For Michael, everyone was going off and throwing dust and stuff everywhere. It filled his radiator early in the race and the engine got a little warm. He didn’t have a major issue, but the team has decided to change the engine more as a precautionary measure.
“The boys will work hard tonight, which is not ideal, but that’s motorsport, for better or for worse.”
Fellow KRE customers TeamVodafone won today’s race with driver Craig Lowndes despite his #888 Holden requiring an engine change of its own after the morning’s practice session.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report, results and championship positions after Race 16.
See below for Speedcafe.com’s Coates Hire Ipswich 300 Race Guide
