Protecting a podium was the imperative which caused Tickford Racing to implement team orders at The Bend, Tim Edwards has explained.
He was tailed in the closing stages by team-mate Cameron Waters, but the #6 Monster Energy Mustang pilot was told to hold position and would take the chequered flag just behind in fourth spot.
“Well, they were in third and fourth, and the last thing you want is two of your team cars coming together and all of a sudden finishing DNF and DNF,” Edwards, Tickford’s Team Principal, told Speedcafe.
“It’s a strong position for the team, and we just didn’t need them clashing.”
Waters expressed his dissatisfaction in blunt terms when he spoke on television post-race.
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“Look, I wasn’t that impressed,” he said.
“I wanted them to put their faith in their drivers and let us race.
“But, yeah, I pulled the team line that one time; probably won’t do it again.
“But, it’s good for the team to get good points and we’ve got fast cars and we’ve got to put it all together and hopefully we can win some races from now on.”
On Waters, Edwards commented, “Most drivers probably aren’t [happy about such a situation].
“But I think, if you heard his comments as he went over the finish line, he said great result for the team.
“He’s smart enough to know that, and it was nothing more than we just didn’t need to risk it.
“We’ve had a dry spell for podiums and the last thing we needed was the two of them coming together.”
Randle did open the door when he ran wide at the penultimate corner of the race, but Waters resisted the temptation to march on through.
“I was trying to put a bit of pressure on him to see if I could make him crack and I made him crack at the second-last corner,” recounted Waters.
“But, I did the good thing and then let him have it.”
Randle said of how the process played out, “I think it was like, ‘Cam won’t race you,’ so yeah, just sort of eyes forward.
“We were sort of that half-second gap the whole way, but whether he was taking it easy, I’m not sure.
“I would have battled it out with me in a way.”
The #55 Mustang pilot admits, though, that he owes Waters a favour.
“You could say looked after me, so thanks Cam,” he remarked.
“He’s a pretty good mate of mine, so I’m sure he’ll want a tow or something tomorrow, so I’ll probably have to give it to him.
“But, P3 and P4 for the team today is really solid and JC [James Courtney] getting up to P8, I think, from 12th or something, three [Tickford] cars in the 10 is pretty cool.”
Additional reporting: Mark Fogarty
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