Ryan stands by call for DJRTP exclusion

Penrite Racing CEO Barry Ryan stands by his call for DJR Team Penske to be excluded from the Bathurst 1000 as teams and drivers react to the sanctions delivered to the team by CAMS.

Reaction continues to flow after Shell V-Power Racing were found guilty of a breach of the FIA International Sporting Code at Mount Panorama and subsequently handed a $250,000 fine, deducted 300 teams’ championship points while Fabian Coulthard was demoted from sixth to 21st position.

The penalties were determined during a hearing last Saturday that had followed a week of conjecture as to how the team’s action affected the race.

Stewards settled on the above sanctions, which features the biggest financial penalty handed out in Supercars history while Scott McLaughlin and Alexandre Premat kept the win.

The team has since accepted the penalties with managing director Ryan Story taking “full and complete responsibility” for the squad’s actions.

The effect of the penalties are still being felt in the paddock at the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 with rival teams suggesting the sanctions do not go far enough.

Ryan was one of the most vocal prior to the hearing, calling for the entire team to be excluded, and maintains that view following CAMS’ decision.

“It’s disappointing that they can find a team guilty of doing what they did and they haven’t punished the team, they’ve only punished one car, and a slight punishment to the team, but it’s nothing,” said Ryan on Fox Sports’ Supercars Trackside.

“Scotty is part of the team, and Car 17 is part of the team. So the team did wrong, the team benefited, They should have been excluded. Simple as that.”

The views are somewhat echoed by Kelly Racing’s Andre Heimgartner, who believes a harsher penalty should have been issued.

“It’s an interesting one. I don’t know too much about it,” said Heimgartner on Supercars Trackside.

“Obviously haven’t gone into too much detail but personally I think it should have been a harsher penalty.

“But obviously everyone has their own opinion.

“For us, it didn’t affect our race too much but it definitely wasn’t in the spirit of the sport.”

Walkinshaw Andretti United and former DJR Team Penske driver Scott Pye also offered his thoughts on the matter during the show.

“From my perspective, we wouldn’t have won that day. I had some damage and we weren’t in the race, but my opinion is still the same,” said Pye.

“I think it was unfair and there’s plenty of people out there probably deserved the win.

“Unfortunately, Bathurst is a place where the fastest car doesn’t always win, and I think on that day I don’t think it would have just due to circumstances and luck.

“It’s not saying they weren’t the fastest, (and) probably didn’t deserve it. But the way the cards unfolded, I think it could have been a very interesting race but unfortunately that was taken away from the fans back at home.”