SUPERCARS driving standards advisor Craig Baird has offered insight into an unseen incident from the closing stages of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
Todd Hazelwood was running 16th when the Sunday race restarted on Lap 81 of 85 following a Safety Car period to retrieve Scott Pye’s Hino Camaro which had crashed out while avoiding a flick-spinning James Golding.
MORE: Why Golding flick-spin went unpunished
The broadcast captured Hazelwood’s #3 CoolDrive Mustang spun at Turn 11 on Lap 81, but it was not clear what or who had been the cause.
It turns out Andre Heimgartner was to blame – somewhat to Baird’s surprise – and the Brad Jones Racing ace consequently copped a 15-second penalty.
“Andre hit the back of Todd on the turn-in point at Turn 11, resulting in him spinning,” Baird explained via V8 Sleuth’s new Race Control podcast.
“Todd carried on but lost multiple positions, so it’s a medium (severity case), so that was a 15(-second penalty).
“It’s kind of strange because if there’s one guy in the field you never really see in my office, it’s Andre Heimgartner.
“He’s just always that guy that always seems so clean and tidy and does things by the book, so a little bit surprised.
“There was certainly no intent in it, I think he just cleared the brake a little bit quick and got the back of Todd, resulting in a half-spin.”
Having been set to inherit a couple of positions due to time penalties lingering over drivers ahead on track, Hazelwood was ultimately classified 18th, one position behind the relegated Heimgartner.
