THE Blue Oval can’t take a trick at the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000.
Two of the leading Ford Mustangs have copped penalties during the opening stints of the Great Race.
The #26 Grove Racing Mustang was dealt a drive-through penalty after David Reynolds overtook Broc Feeney under the race’s first Safety Car period on lap 28.
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Feeney had been exiting the pits and made it to the Safety Car line marginally ahead of Reynolds, who took the position anyway.
Reynolds eventually redressed the situation, but not until after the penalty had been handed down, forcing the Penrite Mustang into the pits from third place.
While the initial breach had been clear, Reynolds’ co-driver Garth Tander was disappointed by the severity of the punishment.
“The #88 was certainly in front of our car at the Safety Car line at pit exit but for as long as I can remember – and that’s a long time – they’ve given us the opportunity to redress under Safety Car and there was absolutely no instruction from Race Control to do that,” said Tander.
“When we actually did it on-track, they just simply said, ‘no, the penalty has been issued and you have to take it’. It’s frustrating, disappointing but ultimately there is a long way to go in this race and we’ll get back in the game.”
Tickford Racing also felt the wrath of officials.
Its Cam Waters/James Moffat Mustang was dealt a five-second time penalty after being deemed to have been released unsafely from its second pitstop on lap 39.
Moffat had been released into the path of the #31 PremiAir Racing Camaro being driven by Dylan O’Keeffe, who was deemed to have been temporarily impeded.
The Monster Mustang was running in fifth-place when the penalty – to be served at its next pitstop – was handed down.
