Motorsport: Scott McLaughlin's team seek answers over speeding penalty

Scott McLaughlin lost the Supercars Championship to Jamie Whincup in Newcastle. Photo / Getty Images

Scott McLaughlin's Shell V-Power Racing team is seeking an explanation from Supercars officials over the New Zealander's drive through penalty in the final race of the season in Newcastle.

McLaughlin was given a penalty for speeding in pit lane, which saw him fall to the back of the field and start a run of incidents that ultimately cost him the title that was won by Red Bull Holden Racing's Jamie Whincup.

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While they accept it won't change the championship result, Shell V-Power want to understand how the 24-year-old McLaughlin was penalized when all their data indicates he wasn't speeding.

"According to the team's analysis of multiple different data/video feeds, Scott didn't exceed the 40 km/h speed limit at any point in pit lane," a release from the team said. "Members of Supercars technical staff have agreed to attend a meeting at the DJR Team Penske workshop on Monday, 11 December to review the incident with the team's technical staff.

"Data retrieved from the car aligned to television footage of the car entering pit lane and the footage from the MoTeC VCS Judicial Camera (note: Judicial Camera footage cannot be publicly released without Supercars permission) has been analysed. Each analysis demonstrates McLaughlin's car never exceeded the speed limit. In fact, when McLaughlin released the brake pedal prior to the pit entry line, the car was travelling at 33.5 km/h. Following entry, the car's pit speed limiter brought the vehicle speed up to a steady 38.2 km/h without ever exceeding the prescribed 40 km/h limit.

"The data reviewed includes both front and rear wheel speed (as supplied by Supercars), throttle position, brake pressure, GPS speed and longitudinal G-force.

"DJR Team Penske accepts that the outcome of the championship cannot be altered, but the team feels it has a responsibility to seek clarity and to ensure the methods used to enforce pit lane speed limits going forward are as accurate as possible for all competitors."

Veteran New Zealand racer Craig Baird is the driving standards observer for the category and he explained the punishment to The Herald last week.