Supercars news 2023: Shane van Gisbergen, Broc Feeney’s Newcastle 500 disqualification stands after Triple Eight appeal rejected
Triple Eight have failed in their bid to have Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney’s Race 1 disqualifications overturned, after the case was thrown out at a judicial hearing.
Triple Eight’s appeal to have Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney’s Race 1 disqualifications was thrown out at a Motorsport Australia judicial hearing on Wednesday night.
Chaz Mostert will retain the Supercars championship lead after a three-person panel convened in Melbourne and ruled to uphold the decision to disqualify the two Red Bull drivers from the opening race of the season in Newcastle earlier this month.
Van Gisbergen and Feeney claimed a historic one-two finish for Triple Eight in the debut race of the Gen3 Supercars era, only to have their podiums scrubbed out the following day.
Rivals Tickford Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United submitted protests to race stewards arguing Triple Eight had made a technical breach in relation to the cooling system in both Red Bull cars.
Motorsport Australia found Triple Eight guilty of a technical breach and disqualified both drivers.
Triple Eight then filed an official appeal to have the verdict overturned, which led to Motorsport Australia convening the three-person panel to hear the team’s arguments in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
News Corp understands Triple Eight director Jamie Whincup, co-owner Jessica Dane and team manager Mark Dutton attended the hearing.
However the panel ruled to dismiss Triple Eight’s appeal and van Gisbergen and Feeney will remain disqualified from Race 1 at the Newcastle 500.
It means Cam Waters will keep his historic Race 1 victory, with Mostert and Brodie Kostecki rounding out the podium.
Mostert holds a 45-point lead over Kostecki, with Waters a further 12 points behind.
Supercars heads to Albert Park next weekend for the Melbourne SuperSprint.
Motorsport Australia confirmed in a statement that the disqualifications will stand.
“Motorsport Australia can confirm Triple Eight Race Engineering’s appeal has been heard and dismissed and cars 97 (van Gisbergen) and 88 (Feeney) are disqualified from race one of the Newcastle 500.
“Tonight’s hearing was held in Melbourne at Motorsport Australia House in Canterbury, beginning at 6pm and concluding at 9.30pm.
“A three-person panel was convened to hear the appeal. The three members are Walter Sofronoff KC, Steve Chopping and Ross Jackson.
“A full and substantiative decision paper will be published by close of business on Friday and posted on the Motorsport Australia website in full.”
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