Craig Lowndes’ eventful trip to Townsville took a turn for the worse on Sunday morning, docked crucial points in the race for the V8 Supercars championship.
The Red Bull Racing driver and three-time champion was served a 25-point penalty for “careless driving” in Saturday’s first race in the tropics.
Attempting to carve a way through the top end of the field, Lowndes made contact with Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander and James Courtney, who had qualified fastest for the race.
The penalty will flow through to Sunday’s 250 kilometre race, with Lowndes also docked two grid positions.
Tander and Courtney – who regrouped to dominate race two – had stern words for Lowndes after the race.
Tander said he was battered around by “people that should know better”, while Courtney said Lowndes took him out.
“I don’t know what he was thinking, he came from about 80 cars back all locked up and took the front of the car,” Courtney said.
After heading to Townsville in second place in the championship, 161 points behind Mark Winterbottom, Lowndes is now third and 216 points back.
Will Davison was also docked 25 points for his role in the opening lap drama, turning around Lowndes.
After a spell in the pits, Lowndes would eventually crash out for the first time in 82 races.
The fall-out from a dramatic day’s racing continued with Team Jeld-Wen owner Charlie Schwerkolt lashing out at Todd Kelly.
Kelly lost 35 points and four grid places for a clash with Schwerkolt’s driver Jack Perkins.
Fighting for lower positions, Perkins passed Kelly but was then clipped by the Nissan driver, crashing into the wall.
Stewards viewed the act as “reckless driving” and imposed the ban.
Schwerkolt saw it as a deliberate act – and one that cost him dearly.
“Jack cleanly passes Todd, and he deliberately tagged him into the wall, Schwerkolt told the V8 Supercars website.
“It was unnecessary, Todd could have avoided it and it has cost me around $50,000.”
Schwerkolt suggested race suspensions rather than points deductions would be a more appropriate punishment.
