Whincup apologises for outburst, avoids ban
Jamie Whincup has escaped serious sanction for his outburst levelled at race control after apologising to the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
A furious CAMS boss Eugene Arocca was yesterday still waiting on an apology from the seven-time Supercars champion over accusations that race officials are not at the same level as teams made after Sunday's race at Pukekohe.
However the matter has now been settled, Whincup, Supercars and CAMS issuing a joint statement this morning confirming there will be no fines or suspensions.
Whincup will, however, need to attend CAMS race control at a meeting – likely a Shannons Nationals round – as part of the resolution to the matter.
“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the race control officials, and officials more broadly, for my comments following the recent Supercars round in Auckland," said Whincup.
"While the comments were made in the heat of the moment following a long weekend, these kind of comments about our officials have no place in our sport.
“Everyone in the paddock is aware that we simply couldn’t compete without the dedication and sacrifices of all officials and I apologise unreservedly for any offence I have caused.”
Arocca confirmed that CAMS had accepted Whincup's apology, and that the governing body will undertake a full investigation into the Safety Car debacle that sparked the initial outrage.
“From grassroots motorsport through to Supercars events, our officials deserve everyone’s respect and support in what is often a thankless but undeniably important and difficult role," he said.
"We accept the right of competitors to dispute our decisions however, personal attacks on the professionalism of officials have no place in any sport.
“There is no doubt Jamie’s comments have upset many people however, having had the opportunity to speak to him I know that he is genuinely remorseful for the offence he has caused, particularly in race control.
“We will take the opportunity to debrief the weekend and review all matters leading up to the deployment of the Safety Car, particularly given the unique nature of Pukekohe.
"We will always strive to do our best and continue to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in overseeing one of the most passionate and competitive race competitions in the world.”
Supercars CEO Sean Seamer added: “Eugene and I sat down to discuss the events that occurred on Sunday at Pukekohe.
"We agree that sometimes people get it wrong in any sport, whether it is motorsport, football, cricket or any code. Players, drivers, officials and administrators, irrespective of the tools and capabilities they have access to, make mistakes. No one is perfect.
“In a sport like ours, driven by passion, these errors can and do get amplified. Eugene and I have discussed the various incidents that occurred on Sunday and we agree this was such a case.
"Ultimately, the rules are the rules and we support CAMS and its officials in the implementation and application of those rules. We look forward to discussing the outcome of CAMS’ review and debrief of the race.”
Cam Waters, who was also in the CAMS firing line for comments made at Pukekohe, has escaped sanction too, thanks to a written apology.
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