The V8 Supercars had enforced a 'six strike' system in which electronic devices would pick up drivers who were cutting or hopping over kerbs. But on Sunday well into race 22 the devices were switched off, allowing drivers to take full advantage of cutting corners with out any penalties.
TeamVodafone Holden driver Craig Lowndes said he felt embarrassed for the international drivers taking part. lowndes himself took full advantage as he saw the driver in front of him was getting away with cutting corners.
"I was radioing to my engineer Jeremy to see if the guy I was following was activating the sensor," Lowndes said. "Of course when he said no and I could see how much he was cutting the
kerb, it didn’t take drivers long to realise that they either turned it
off or just weren’t registering or whatever was going on.
"It was a frustrating time because it became a joke in the end to see
how fast you could run over the kerbs and over the chicanes to get some
kind of an advantage.
"The old saying goes ‘you want an inch take a mile, well everyone was taking their fair share of kerbs!"
"It would have only taken a couple of drive-through (penalties) for
some drivers to realise you’re still not going to be able to cut the
corners as much as we were (when the electronic system was turned on),"
Lowndes says.
"It was disappointing at times when you’re driving
around trying to do the right thing, cutting corners like everyone else
but trying to do as much as everyone else to save yourself.
"I actually felt a little embarrassed for the international drivers the way we conducted ourselves for the end of that race.