DJR faces post-race hearing amid skid block saga

The famous Ford team was pulled up by Supercars Technical following qualifying earlier today over the control skid blocks on both of its cars.

The series alleged that the blocks had been machined by the team given they tapered from rear to front, which would be a Division C breach, the punishment for which is disqualification.

DJR was able to successfully argue that the blocks had only been sanded to remove “gouges and scratches” with Motorsport Australia deciding that no breach could be established.

A second hearing is understood to have taken place this evening, although Motorsport Australia has indicated to Speedcafe that it is unrelated to the skid block matter.

Exactly what it is yet to be made clear by the governing body, although the results of today’s second race remain preliminary.

It is also not clear whether any outcome will be made public tonight.

The successful skid block argument earlier in the day hinged on both the sanding claims from DJR, and the fact that the parts were not impounded, and therefore not used as physical evidence.

“Supercars Technical alleged that the side skid blocks of Cars 17 and 38 had been modified in breach of Rule C1.1.4,” read the stewards statement.

“The modification was alleged to be machining the skid blocks, so they tapered from rear to front.

“The Team Representative accepted that the profile of the skid blocks were not as they were manufactured. The Team Representative asserted that the skid blocks had worn to their current profile.

“He produced a photograph of another Competitor’s car which showed a similar profile.

“He accepted that the skid blocks had been sanded but he said that did not change their profile but just removed gouges and scratches.

“Supercar’s Representative stated that he had experience which enabled him to opine that the skid blocks had been modified by being machined.

“The Team Representative denied that the skid blocks had been machined. The DRD informed the Stewards that if the skid blocks had been sanded the surface of the skid blocks would contain material from the sanding paper.

“The skid blocks were not impounded by Supercars and were not produced as evidence to the stewards.

“The Stewards find that in the face of the denials of the Team Representative and the absence of the skid blocks as evidence the allegation has not been proved.”