Triple Eight, WAU hit with points penalties, fines

Triple Eight and Walkinshaw Andretti United have been hit with teams' championship points penalties and fines after Saturday's ITM Taupō Super400 opener.

Triple Eight has been deducted 30 teams' championship points and fined $1500 after a wheel nut was sent into the fast lane during a stop for points leader Will Brown.

The wheel nut flew into the fast lane off Brown's front left wheel, with the championship leader coming home ninth in the race won by Andre Heimgartner.

Replays showed the nut coming free, before being flicked into the fast lane off the tyre as the Triple Eight crew member replaced the wheel.

The Triple Eight ruling reads: A penalty consisting of the deduction of 30 Teams' championship points and a fine of $1,500 on Triple Eight Race Engineering Australia Pty Ltd for a breach of Rule D11.7.6 – (All parts and equipment must be kept entirely within the working lane of Pit Lane at all times) – regarding Car 87's pit stop in Race 7 (where a wheel nut rolled into the fast lane).

Triple Eight's tally drops from 1259 to 1229 points, with its lead over closest rival Penrite Racing reduced to 379 points.

WAU, meanwhile, was pinged 30 teams' points and fined $1500 over releasing Chaz Mostert into the race with a loose wheel, which came off the car on lap 42.

Mostert was fighting for the lead with Heimgartner when he slowed rounding Turn 1, with the wheel coming off between Turns 4 and 5.

The errant wheel rolled across the infield and hit Mostert's car, before coming to rest in the outfield after clouting the Armco barrier. In the stewards' report, WAU was penalised over releasing the #25 Ford "in an unsafe position."

The WAU ruling reads: A penalty consisting of the deduction of 30 Teams' championship points and a fine of $1,500 on WAU Racing Pty Ltd for a breach of the International Sporting Code's Appendix L, Chapter IV (Code of Driving Conduct on Circuits), Article 5 g) – (Cars may not be released from a garage or pit stop position in an unsafe condition) – regarding Car 25's pit stop (after which the right rear wheel came away from the Car).

Tickford Racing, meanwhile, was hit with two $500 fines over data logger breaches.

The ITM Taupō Super400 will conclude with Sunday's finale, Race 8, which will start at 1:05pm AEST/3:05pm NZST.