HRT Breach Regulations - Ford Bitter

[Gobbles]

Taken from FOX Sports 12/11/2004

Holden breach upsets Ford
By Ray Kershler
November 12, 2004

THE long-running feud between Ford and Holden has erupted on the eve of the historic Tasmanian round of the V8 championship with news the Holden Racing Team has been belatedly charged with breaching electronic engine regulations at the Indy meeting.

The irregularity was found in the engine electronics of the No.22 car driven by Todd Kelly, the teammate of HRT owner Mark Skaife.

The charge is identical to the one levelled at the car driven by Ford's championship leader Marcos Ambrose after round six in Queensland, when he was initially stripped of his winning points.

The charges relate to the wiring attached to the electronic control unit of the V8s - an extremely sensitive area for the scrutineers who check the cars for irregularities.

Ambrose initially lost the 192 points awarded for winning and was fined $10,000 for the team's breach. On appeal, the points were reinstated and the fine reduced to $5000.

But what has infuriated Ford officials in general, and Ambrose's Stone Brothers' team in particular, is the delay in announcing the charge against HRT.

According to an official notification released on Wednesday, the breach was detected after the second Indy race more than two weeks ago.

The hearing against Stone Brothers was heard after the Queensland race.

Adding salt to the Ford wounds has been the intense pressure on Ambrose, the defending champion and 2004 championship leader, since his controversial clash at Indy with Holden drivers Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy.

Ambrose, who was born in Tasmania, had hoped for a triumphant homecoming at the Launceston round where he could wrap up the 2004 title - symbolically the first time the V8s have raced in Tasmania since 1995.

Instead he has largely gone to ground as Holden ramped up the pressure on him following the "brake testing" allegations and subsequent verbal abuse charges, which are still to be concluded.

Ford officials maintain Ambrose is unfairly being pilloried - especially as Rick Kelly, who had his private demolition derby at the Gold Coast, escaped much of the public scrutiny.

But Kelly will be central to two other inquiries in Launceston this morning - his high-speed crash with Jason Bright and his altercation with Ambrose.

Neither Ford nor Holden went public about the latest controversy yesterday but there is smouldering resentment in the Ford camp.

Ford believe Ambrose has been the subject of concerted personal insinuations instigated by Holden over the past few years as the mantle of champion passed from Holden to Ford.

But the charges after the Queensland round hit the team harder - insinuating as they do skulduggery, at the very least.

Now the boot is on the other foot, Ford can be expected to press, behind the scenes at least, for severe penalties.

Ford will ask for Todd Kelly's car to be excluded from the Indy results. Kelly finished third and was awarded 180 points.

But the stewards will be acutely aware of the precedent that they set when they reinstated Ambrose's points on appeal.

If the circumstances are identical, the stewards would be hard-pushed to strip Kelly of his points.

Complicating the adjudication is the August pronouncement of Avesco, the sport's governing body: "Any breach of the sport's technical regulations, regardless of the circumstances, will result in the car being excluded."

Since then, though, Larry Perkins, the first person so charged, has had no trouble beating the rap. .

The Daily Telegraph

[Bax]

God damn its just like one big dirty cheap soap opera.

[Darren]

What a joke! Rules are there to be broken, after the Ambrosey incident other teams know they can get away with it, firstly he gets stripped of his points and then given back, I mean hell if points were stripped and stay stripped it would deter other teams from doing it.

[jetspin_vn]

Seems to happen an aweful lot these days, I mean yes these things are always subject to appeal, but Ambrose broke a rule for christs sake. He should not have got his points back, fullstop.

But because he did, it sets a prescinct. AVESCO has to treat HRT the same, otherwise they too will get pissed off, the difference being they will have reason to be. Ford are always the first to complain it would seem, its like back in the early AU days when they were so shit they threatened to quit V8 supercars!!

Ford have no right to complain in this instance.

[davo]

"What a joke, if thats the case then we will just pay our $5000 now and race bathurst with 6 litre engines"

Skaify commenting on AVESCO's technical tribunal system.

[Bax]

Skaifey should stop sooking and try and finish a race.

[Gobbles]

Skaifey should stop sooking and try and finish a race.

People are always saying this yet they forget about 2001, 2002....etc

[Bax]

Yeah, but that was 2001,2002.. Just look at Lowndes and Skaife, they were both Brilliant, and basically unstoppable. Now Lowndes has car troubles most of the time, if not he's back in the pack.. And Skaife is usually too busy having a tiff with somebody then trying to go hmm, I'll settle for this position for this corner.. He's a bit of a loose cannon out there lately.

I think he needs to hand HRT back to somebody else and concentrate on the driving. Because he does get quick times.. And honestly I think HRT would be looking for another driver he wasn't self secured.

[Gobbles]

Yeah, but that was 2001,2002.. Just look at Lowndes and Skaife, they were both Brilliant, and basically unstoppable. Now Lowndes has car troubles most of the time, if not he's back in the pack.. And Skaife is usually too busy having a tiff with somebody then trying to go hmm, I'll settle for this position for this corner.. He's a bit of a loose cannon out there lately.

I think he needs to hand HRT back to somebody else and concentrate on the driving. Because he does get quick times.. And honestly I think HRT would be looking for another driver he wasn't self secured.

There have only been a few rounds this year where his bad track position at the end of the race has actually been his fault. There is nothing wrong with the way HRT is being run jsut look at where todd kelly is in the championship this year. Off the top of my head Eastern Creek was his fault locked up a brake in race 1 i think was running in 1st place put it into the sand for 2 laps. After that Queensland turn 3 was punted off the track while running about 3rd or so Good enough round win at oran park (equal 1st with ambrose) Indy took a lot of brake into the corner and turned it. Not all of its his fault i know ill be gunning for a skaife comeback next year and then ill rub it in your face

[Bax]

If he does come back you can rub it all you like, but I can't see it happening unless he calms down.

[jetspin_vn]

And if Murph beats Skaife I also will be rubbing it in your face

[Gobbles]

Murph or Skaife.......either way im happy

go murph in this last round hope ambrose puts it into a wall in race 1

[jetspin_vn]

If that happens, I will laugh for days and days and days. And I will cry tears of joy.

[Gobbles]

If that happens, I will laugh for days and days and days. And I will cry tears of joy.

Im crying just thinking about it haha only time is going to tell