Slade penalised for van Gisbergen qualifying clash

Tim Slade has been given a three-position grid penalty and lost his fastest lap for the clash with Shane van Gisbergen in Qualifying for Race 5 at Symmons Plains.

As a result, Slade will start from 13th later this afternoon, instead of ninth, while the Repco Supercars Championship leader will stay third on the grid for the final race of the Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.

The two had made heavy contact at the end of the back straight when van Gisbergen, who was on a hot lap, attempted to go down the inside of the latter at Turn 6.

The hit put Slade’s #3 CoolDrive Mustang off the track, while the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver had the tyre pulled loose from the right-rear rim of his #97 ZB Commodore.

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Making matters worse for van Gisbergen, who had just set the pace the preceding qualifying session, he was fastest to the second sector at the time yet missed out on a chance to secure back-to-back pole positions for the Sunday races at Symmons Plains

The 2021 champion claimed that he initially thought Slade was stepping aside to leave room for him to blaze past down the kinked back ‘straight’, and stewards saw the incident his way.

The stewards report advises: “Following the Session, and after admissions by the Drivers concerned, the Stewards imposed the following Penalties:

“A 3 Grid Spot Penalty for Car 3, Tim Slade, in Race 5 for impeding Car 97, Shane van Gisbergen, at Turn 6 as a result of which contact occurred and both Cars sustained damage and the Session was Red Flagged.

“A review of broadcast footage revealed that Car 3 had aborted its flying Lap at Turn 4 but failed to get out of the path of Car 97 at the entry to Turn 6 when Car 97 was on a flying Lap.

“Because Car 3 caused the Red Flag, its fastest time in the Session is deleted in accordance with the Rules such that the 3 Grid Spot Penalty is applied by reference to the next fastest time set by Car 3 in the Session.”

Stewards Summary after Qualifying for Race 5:

“Stewards have imposed a three place grid penalty on Tim Slade (Car 3) for the incident at the end of qualifying for Race 5, he will also lose his fastest lap for causing the red flag”
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Officially, Slade is now 10th-fastest in Qualifying for Race 5 due to his fastest lap being invalidated, with the grid penalty dropping him back further.

Stewards also pinged Chaz Mostert for impeding Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner in Qualifying for Race 5, relegating the #25 Walkinshaw Andretti United driver by one position on the starting grid.

Coincidentally, it means those two will swap sides on Row 10.

On that matter, stewards explained, “A review of judicial camera footage from Car 8 revealed that Car 25 was not on a flying Lap on the approach to Turn 4 and impeded Car 8 on its flying Lap.”

Race 4 starts shortly, and Race 5, when the penalties will be applied, at 15:55 local time/AEDT.

Results: Qualifying for Race 5, Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint Updated

Pos	Num	Team/Sponsor	Driver	Car	Fastest lap	Split
1	17	Shell V-Power Racing Team	Will Davison	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.5515
2	34	Truck Assist Racing	Jack Le Brocq	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.6155	0:00.0640
3	97	Red Bull Ampol Racing	Shane van Gisbergen	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.6184	0:00.0669
4	35	Truck Assist Racing	Todd Hazelwood	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.6506	0:00.0991
5	11	Shell V-Power Racing Team	Anton De Pasquale	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.6726	0:00.1211
6	26	Penrite Racing	David Reynolds	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.7336	0:00.1821
7	88	Red Bull Ampol Racing	Broc Feeney	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.8472	0:00.2957
8	6	Monster Energy Racing	Cameron Waters	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.8568	0:00.3053
9	10	Penrite Racing	Lee Holdsworth	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.9107	0:00.3592
10	3	CoolDrive Auto Parts	Tim Slade	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.9253	0:00.3738
11	18	IRWIN Racing	Mark Winterbottom	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.9388	0:00.3873
12	56	Tradie Racing	Jake Kostecki	Ford Mustang GT	0:50.9522	0:00.4007
13	20	Team 18 Racing	Scott Pye	Holden Commodore ZB	0:50.9523	0:00.4008
14	5	Opposite Lock Racing	James Courtney	Ford Mustang GT	0:51.0072	0:00.4557
15	55	Castrol Racing	Thomas Randle	Ford Mustang GT	0:51.0235	0:00.4720
16	99	Boost Mobile Racing by Erebus	Brodie Kostecki	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.0553	0:00.5038
17	14	Middy’s Electrical Racing	Bryce Fullwood	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.0715	0:00.5200
18	4	SCT Logistics Racing	Jack Smith	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1049	0:00.5534
19	25	Mobil 1 Optus Racing	Chaz Mostert	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1101	0:00.5586
20	8	R&J Batteries Racing	Andre Heimgartner	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1138	0:00.5623
21	2	Mobil 1 NTI Racing	Nick Percat	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1593	0:00.6078
22	76	PremiAir Subway Racing	Garry Jacobson	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1760	0:00.6245
23	9	Boost Mobile Racing by Erebus	William Brown	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.1934	0:00.6419
24	96	Automotive Superstore	Macauley Jones	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.8297	0:01.2782
25	22	PremiAir Coca Cola Racing	Chris Pither	Holden Commodore ZB	0:51.9091	0:01.3576