A wheel was seen rolling away from the team’s tyre changers during Will Brown’s stop in the 50-lap contest, triggering a post-race investigation.
The penalty for failing to control pit equipment is typically a $1500 fine and loss of 30 teams’ championship points.
However, Triple Eight has been docked just $1000 – with $500 suspended through December 31 – as the wheel did not reach the fast lane and no other cars were impacted.
“During Car 888’s Pit Stop, the wheel removed from the rear left of Car 888 was thrown to the side by the mechanic and it bounced and rolled some distance from the Car, albeit not into the fast lane,” read the decision document.
“The Authorised Representative explained that he was carefully watching the tyre change, saw the wheel roll and was ready to stop it if it had gone any further.
“He accepted that even though he was ready to intervene, because it originally landed on its edge, rather than flat on the ground, and moved away from the Car, it was not under the complete control of the team at all times.
“The Stewards determined that Rule D11.7.2 was breached and impose a Fine on the Team in the sum of $1,000.
“Recognising that in this instance no other Car was affected and noting that the wheel did not leave the working lane, the Stewards suspend $500 of that fine until 31 December 2026.”
The Blanchard Racing Team meanwhile again found itself in front of the stewards just a day after receiving a $50,000 for a serious safety breach in New Zealand.
This time the case centred on the fact the tyre pressure sensors (TPMS) on three of the control wheels on James Golding’s car #7 were not sharing data continuously during Saturday qualifying.
Supercars rules state a control tyre must have an operational TPMS fitted to a control wheel whenever it is on the car.
Stewards determined that no breach of the rules occurred, given doubt over functionality of the sensors and there being “no evidence that the team had made any error or omission which had contributed to the apparent problem”.
Read the full summary of the BRT case below
The Stewards summoned and heard from the Driver of Car 7 and the Authorised Representatives and reviewed Supercars telemetry and Team telemetry.
According to Supercars telemetry, at the start of the Session 3 of the control wheels on Car 7 were not transmitting TPMS data.
The Team explained that they had checked all of the TPMS sensors on the relevant control wheels before the start of the Session and they were all transmitting data. The control wheels in question had wet tyres fitted.
Car 7 commenced the Session on slick tyres and then pitted and the wets were fitted.
When the Car left the pit bay the Team noticed that not all TPMS sensors were transmitting data but later in the Session two of the three which had not been transmitting started transmitting. The Stewards sighted and confirmed this data.
On enquiry of the CTM, the CTM confirmed that TPMS sensors can fault for various reasons beyond the control of the Competitor.
They are a sealed unit with an internal battery which cannot be replaced and which can have an unpredictable lifespan.
The battery levels in the TPMS can be checked but in this case the battery level telemetry from the 3 suspect sensors varied wildly during the Session implying an internal fault.
At the request of the Stewards, the control wheels in question had been impounded and inspected and the fitment of the TPMS sensors was confirmed.
Having considered the matter, the Stewards determined that while Supercars telemetry suggested that the TPMS sensors were not ‘operational’ at all times when the wheels were fitted to the Car, given doubt about the functionality of the sensors and there being no evidence that the Team had made any error or omission which had contributed to the apparent problem, no breach of the Rules was established.
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