Two of Supercars’ biggest names face bans ahead of the category’s showcase Bathurst 1000 after taking aim at race officials.
Governing body Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) have threatened to throw the book at seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup ahead of next month’s Great Race after an extraordinary spray directed at stewards at the recent Auckland SuperSprint.
And popular Ford young gun Cameron Waters is in hot water after he questioned whether results should stand following a controversial safety car period that marred the last round in New Zealand.
Holden star Whincup faces suspension ahead of next month’s Great Race after questioning the officials’ professionalism following Sunday’s Auckland race that was marred by safety car chaos.
The four-time Bathurst champion passed the safety car without permission after being incorrectly identified as the race leader, receiving a drive-through penalty before finishing a distant 16th.
After the race Whincup said officials’ brains were “not with it” and they were “cruising back, having a few glasses of red each night” in a TV interview – comments he’s since regretted in a statement.
Whincup is at risk of being sidelined for the Great Race after CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca described the comments as “disgraceful” and “offensive”.
“He’s accused them of cruising, of not having their brains in gear, and getting on the p***,” Arocca said.
“I’m struggling to find a more offensive comment about an official at a high-level sport ever, other than cheating.
“We’re pretty upset about it. There are lawyers who were stewards at that event, and they would be within their rights to consider separate legal action because they’ve been defamed.”
Whincup is facing sanctions ranging from a race ban and a fine to “community service” similar to that imposed on Formula One driver Max Verstappen following an incident in Brazil last year.
Banning Whincup would be a massive call with the Holden star set to link with crowd favourite Craig Lowndes in next month’s Bathurst 1000.
Still, Whincup faces some anxious moments before CAMS make their final verdict before October 13’s premier 1000m event at Mount Panorama where he had hoped to win his first Bathurst title since 2012.
Waters also has a tense wait after he claimed Sunday’s New Zealand race was an “embarrassment” and called for no points to be awarded.
Race contender Waters was livid after being held up following the safety car controversy, eventually finishing 14th.
“We would have been on for a podium but obviously race control managed to screw that one up royally,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“It’s an embarrassment that a championship can do that and classify it as full points, so as far as I’m concerned I want an explanation from the powers that be, and I think that race should be zero points.”
Like Whincup, Waters has been issued a “please explain” by CAMS before announcing any sanction.
