Legal action at one stage appeared set to stop Kiwi star Shane van Gisbergen competing at the V8 Supercars season-opening round in Adelaide.
The rest of the field probably wished it had after the controversial driver topped qualifying on Friday for race one.
However, after making a noise on the tough street circuit, van Gisbergen kept quiet about the obviously touchy subject of his off-season V8 team switch.
The Kiwi sensationally walked away from a recently renewed three-season deal with Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) and “retired” from V8s late in 2012 citing a lack of motivation.
He again shocked the touring car community by signing up for family-run Holden team Tekno Autosports in 2013, much to SBR’s dismay.
SBR – now owned by Erebus Motorsport – claimed van Gisbergen’s new deal contravened the terms of his release and there were reports they were seeking an injunction to enforce a one-year, non-compete clause.
Van Gisbergen was quick to block questions about his switch after clocking a blistering 1min 21.36sec lap ahead of Ford gun Mark Winterbottom (1:21.41) and Holden veteran Craig Lowndes (1:21.44).
“I have no further comment to make,” the usually amiable van Gisbergen told reporters.
But asked about the pressure of mooted legal action, van Gisbergen said: “I obviously heard about it.
“However, out there in the car, I can’t say I was distracted.
“That’s the best place for me out in the car. I just wanted to get out there and get on with it.
“I just wanted people to stop talking about it. That’s what we are here for, the racing – forget about everything else.”
But it seems van Gisbergen’s switch will continue to keep tongues wagging judging by fellow driver Fabian Coulthard’s take on the saga on Friday.
“I think he probably could have gone about it in a slightly better way with the lying,” he told New Zealand’s Radio Sport.
Despite all 28 teams boasting a new vehicle under Car of the Future (COTF) specifications, Holden still stood proud on Friday after race-one qualifying, making up eight of the top 10.
Four-time champion Jamie Whincup was fifth quickest for Saturday’s opening 250km race.
The established teams again shone brightly but a dark cloud hovers over new entries Mercedes and Nissan.
Much was said about extrovert billionaire Betty Klimenko’s Erebus Motorsport’s V8 arrival under the new COTF specs.
However, her cashed-up qualifying assault fizzled as Maro Engel’s Mercedes was towed away with what was believed to be a blown engine late in the initial qualifying session.
The best-qualified Mercedes for Saturday’s opening 250km race was Lee Holdsworth’s way back at 23rd.
Nissan’s arrival was less embarrassing but no more convincing with Michael Caruso their top qualifier at a distant 13th ahead of James Moffatt (14th), Todd Kelly (17th) and Rick Kelly (19th).
In the initial qualifying session that determined the top 10 shootout line-up, Lowndes pipped van Gisbergen for provisional pole in the closest result in V8 history.