DJR TEAM PENSKE TO REVIEW MCLAUGHLIN SPEEDING PENALTY WITH SUPERCARS

DJR Team Penske to review pit lane speeding penalty

Supercars officials will attend a review of Scott McLaughlin’s pitlane speeding penalty from last week’s deciding Championship race in Newcastle.

While the results of the race and Championship are official, DJR Team Penske is working to understand why a penalty was issued to McLaughlin in the race, which was won by – and which clinched the title for – Jamie Whincup.

According to the team’s analysis of multiple different data/video feeds, the #17 Falcon didn’t exceed the 40 kmh speed limit at any point in pit lane.

Members of Supercars technical staff have agreed to attend a meeting at the DJR Team Penske workshop on Monday, 11 December to review the incident with the team’s technical staff.

Data retrieved from the car aligned to television footage of the car entering pit lane and the footage from the MoTeC VCS Judicial Camera (note: Judicial Camera footage cannot be publicly released without Supercars permission) has been analysed. Each analysis demonstrates McLaughlin’s car never exceeded the speed limit.

In fact, when McLaughlin released the brake pedal prior to the pit entry line, the car was travelling at 33.5 kmh. Following entry, the car’s pit speed limiter brought the vehicle speed up to a steady 38.2 kmh without ever exceeding the prescribed 40 kmh limit.

The data reviewed includes both front and rear wheel speed (as supplied by Supercars), throttle position, brake pressure, GPS speed and longitudinal G-force.

DJR Team Penske feels it has a responsibility to seek clarity and to ensure the methods used to enforce pit lane speed limits going forward are as accurate as possible for all competitors.

Illustration caption: 

The television footage shows Car #17 with the pit limiter engaged, on the brake pedal, then off it prior to the pit entry line, which provides a current spike in amperage in the car’s data from the brake light which can be used as a geographical marker in lieu of a beacon. When the driver releases the brake pedal, prior to the pit entry line, the car is travelling at 33.5 kmh. Following entry, the pit speed limiter in the car brings the vehicle speed to a steady 38.2 kmh, at no point exceeding the prescribed 40 kmh limit.

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