If it goes ahead, there are now indications Triple Eight’s appeal against its disqualification at the Newcastle 500 will be heard in Melbourne just before the Australian Grand Prix.
Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney took the chequered flag in first and second position in Race 1 of the Repco Supercars Championship, only for the #97 and #88 Red Bull Ampol Camaros to be disqualified due to a technical infringement.
Triple Eight Race Engineering quickly confirmed that it would pursue the matter with the Supercars National Court of Appeal, as is its right under Rule B7.7.2 of the Supercars Operations manual.
Procedurally, the matter has to be adjudicated in Melbourne, where Motorsport Australia is based.
Additionally, it makes sense to hold it early in the week leading up to the AGP, for which on-track activity starts on March 30, because all relevant parties will be there.
Ordinarily, appeals have to be heard nine days after the event or publication of stewards’ findings, although there is also provision to do so at a later time if the Court and the parties to the appeal agree, per Rule B5.5.1.2.
This all assumes Triple Eight will go ahead with the appeal over the supplementary driver cooling system location infringement.
The team still has the option to withdraw the appeal if, upon reflection, it decides the chances of successfully overturning the disqualification are not good.
Triple Eight paid the long-standing prescribed $10,000 fee to appeal – one of the few costs not hit by recent surging inflation.
In any event, by the AGP, we will know whether Triple Eight’s one-two in Saturday’s race is reinstated or not.
If upheld, the exclusion could have a profound effect on the championship if it gets down to close fight at the end of the season.
The Banyo-based squad had an hour from notification of the stewards’ decision to lodged its Notice of Intention to Appeal, and 92 hours to lodge the appeal itself – formally known as the Notice of Appeal – which takes the deadline to Thursday morning.
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