Super2 leader disqualified from Bathurst race due to engine breach

Jordan Boys has lost the lead of the Dunlop Super2 Series after being disqualified from Race 2 of Round 1 due to having a non-compliant engine.

The Image Racing driver clung on to victory in the latter encounter at Mount Panorama but has now been stripped of that result following a post-event technical inspection.

Tickford Racing’s Zak Best is the new series leader, with Boys dropping to 13th in the standings, while MW Motorsport’s Tyler Everingham is officially the Race 2 winner.

“On 7 April 2021 a Panel of Stewards conducted a Hearing into a Charge by the Race Director that Image Racing breached Rule G8.1.2 in that the engine used in Car #49 did not conform to an ESD,” read a stewards report.

“The Stewards upheld the Charge, found the breach established and imposed a Penalty of Disqualification of Car #49 from Race 2 and have directed that the Final Classifications for Race 2 be amended accordingly.”

The engine, supplied by Walkinshaw Racing (as opposed to Walkinshaw Andretti United) under an existing relationship, was found to have exceeded the Accumulated Engine Power (AEP) number for a VF Commodore engine.

Furthermore, it was found to not comply with the Engine Specification Document (ESD) which it was originally claimed to have complied with, namely SC-2-305, nor any other ESD which has been issued for Walkinshaw powerplants.

While an ESD does not specify an AEP, as the Stewards Decision document explains, an ESD would not be issued had the engine breached the AEP in dyno testing.

Furthermore, some components in the engine were inconsistent with those specified in the relevant ESD and no application had been made to vary the ESD.

Additionally, “Had such an application been lodged, it would have been rejected for reason that the changes yielded an AEP in excess of the approved maximum,” reads the Stewards Decision, in part.

While the recommended penalty for such a breach is disqualification, it should also be noted that a performance advantage, albeit small, was established.

“While the AEP of the subject engine when tested was not grossly in excess of the approved maximum, it exceeded it by a factor which yielded a performance advantage for Car 49,” explained stewards.

The disqualification does not apply to Race 1 as the engine was not tested at that time, and stewards “received no evidence from which we could conclude without hesitation that the engine when used in Race 1 exceeded the approved maximum AEP.”

CLICK HERE for full stewards report

CLICK HERE for Walkinshaw Racing’s response

Results: Race 2 Updated

Series points: Super2 Updated