V8 Supercar Championship Series leader Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight
Race Engineering (Team Betta Electrical) have opted for a Stewards
hearing to decide whether comments made by Lowndes following the
Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge on the Gold Coast last week brought the
sport into disrepute.



An investigation conducted in Melbourne today by V8 Supercars Australia
Investigating and Prosecuting Officer (IPO) Peter Wollerman reached a
conclusion that Lowndes and the Team should answer allegations into
breaches of Rules B6.4.2 and B 6.5.4 as Lowndes and his team did not
admit to a breach of the Rules.



As a consequence the matter will go to a full CAMS Stewards hearing in
Tasmania on Friday week (November 10) prior to the next round of the
Championship, the Ferodo Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains Raceway in
Launceston.



In Tasmania, Lowndes and his team will answer the charge that they
breached the Rules of the V8 Supercar Operations Manual with the
comments he made on television and to the print media. Wollerman will
prosecute the charge in front of the CAMS Stewards' panel.



The relevant Rules that apply are as follows:



B 6.4.2 - the Competitor will be responsible for all acts or omissions
on the part of their drivers, team personnel and associates, but each of
these will be equally responsible for any breach of the Rules.



B 6.5.4  - A person must not do any act , make any omission or engage in
any conduct - which includes words - which is or may reasonably -



(a)        seen as prejudicial to the interests of any meeting, or



(b)        likely to bring the sport of motor racing into disrepute.



It is open to the Stewards at that time to find a breach of the Rules or
dismiss the charges. Should the breaches be proven, they have a wide
discretion to impose penalties. Such penalties include fines, exclusion
from results and loss of Championship points amongst others.