The V8 Supercars Championship will operate without long-time official Peter Wollerman this season following a restructure of its judicial process.
Wollerman's role of Investigating Officer has been removed from the system just days out from the season-opening Clipsal 500.
The IO's job had previously been to investigate matters referred by V8 Supercars, officials and competitors and determine whether they should be brought before the stewards.
Presenting gathered evidence to the stewards and submitting potential reprimands had also been part of the role, which was modified ahead of the 2011 season to remove its previous prosecuting powers.
While the category's Race Director, Tim Schenken, had been charged with the responsibilities of the IO if Wollerman was absent for any reason, the details of the new process are currently unclear.
The change coincides with a new Driving Standards Observer for the class, with recent V8 Supercars endurance co-driver Cameron McConville taking over from Tomas Mezera after the latter elected to focus on his professional golfing endeavours.