Garland alleged that following a dispute regarding engine regulations, he was told to leave the event by the son of the category manager, thought to be Josh Thomas.
Following Practice 1, the older spec XJR1300 engine – used by several competitors including Garland – was given an additional inlet restriction, which the champion felt further widened the parity between it and the new MT09 engine.
Aussie Racing Cars responded to the allegations on social media following the event:
Category Statement: Championship Contender Kody Garland Chose to Withdraw
“There are always two sides to any situation, and then there are the facts. The category would like to provide a clear and balanced summary of the events that occurred.
“During discussions, and following the announcement to competitors that the category would be reducing the level of restriction, Kody expressed that he was unhappy with the amount of change being implemented. This is when the situation began to escalate.
“Kody then approached category management in an aggressive and heated manner. He demanded that the restrictor sleeves be removed entirely for the next session and stated that if this did not occur, he would load his car into the trailer, which would ultimately impact the championship.
“Category management calmly requested that he take a moment to review the available data comparing the fastest XJR engines with the new MT-09 package, along with the associated lap times, before making any decision. At this time, Josh Thomas also acted in a very calm and composed manner, expressing that he did not want Kody to leave and that the category valued his participation.
“Despite this, the interaction escalated further. Kody directed strong and disrespectful comments toward category management, accusing them of not taking the situation seriously and using language that was inappropriate for a professional environment. His tone and conduct were confrontational, and he continued to speak aggressively while pointing toward members of category management. Josh again encouraged him to calm down and explained that management was doing its best to maintain parity and keep the entire field satisfied. He reiterated that the category was working collaboratively for all competitors.
“It is important to clarify that at no point was Kody instructed, asked, or required to leave the event. The decision to pack up and depart was his own. The truth is that Kody threatened to leave if changes were not made, and ultimately chose to follow through on that decision independently.
“Had Kody remained for one further session and reviewed the available data alongside the on-track outcomes, it is highly likely he would have seen the competitiveness of the package and the overall parity across the field. The subsequent sessions demonstrated close performance across both engine platforms, and the feedback from competitors indicated strong satisfaction with the balance achieved.
“It is also important to note that other XJR competitors approached the situation constructively and professionally. They worked with category management, reviewed data, and provided feedback in the appropriate manner. This cooperative approach was reflected in the results, with the top five points scorers for the weekend all still being XJR-powered cars.
“By the end of the weekend, the outcome demonstrated the effectiveness of the category’s approach. The event produced some of the closest and most competitive racing seen in Aussie Racing Cars, with four different race winners and three new race winners. Of those four race winners, two were powered by the MT-09 engine and two were powered by the XJR engine, further demonstrating the parity achieved. The field was extremely competitive, and feedback from competitors indicated a high level of satisfaction with where the parity currently sits.
“The category remains open to constructive discussion at any time and encourages competitors to raise concerns in a calm and respectful manner so that outcomes can be achieved collaboratively for the benefit of the entire field.”
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