The second Aussie Racing Cars race at Queensland Raceway quickly developed into total farce amid concerns over track safety yesterday afternoon. The aftermath of the incident has cost the category organiser his job.
Phil Ward, category founder, organiser and competitor, qualified eighteenth for the race. However, as the cars formed up on the grid Ward sped to the head of the pack, stopped his car and got out to demand the race be cancelled.
On Turn 2 of the racetrack oil had been spilled in an earlier event and Ward felt it was too dangerous to race. What followed was unimaginable chaos for a professional category with almost a decade of competition under its belt.
Unfortunately for Ward and the Aussie Racing Cars series this shambles was being broadcast live around Australia by Channel 7. Watch the video below and, regardless of Ward’s good intentions, you’ll soon see why this melodrama has captured attention for all the wrong reasons.
Competitors at the rear of the field seemed unaware of what was happening ahead of them and started to race, only to have to quickly stop as it became clear the cars ahead weren’t moving. Thankfully, nobody suffered any major damage or injury. It could have been a lot worse.
Speaking after the race Ward explained his actions to Speedcafe.com, “The officials told me that they knew the oil was there, but they didn’t put any flags out.
“There was oil a metre and a half wide, right around the racing line of Turn 2, and down the back straight too.
“I couldn’t let the field go out, and all the competitors have supported what I did.”
Sadly, race organisers and even Ward’s sons who assist in the running of the Aussie Racing Cars category didn’t support his actions.
A statement on the Aussie Racing Cars website reads, “[the] management team have decided that competitor, Phil Ward will be withdrawn from the competition and stand down from his Category role.
“The existing Category management team of Brad and James Ward have confirmed the FW1 Aussie Racing Cars Super Series will continue as scheduled.
“It is our understanding that Phil Ward’s actions as a competitor were designed to alert the other competitors and officials that there was oil on the circuit of which they may not have been aware. Whilst this may have been considered to be meritorious, Aussie Racing Cars management have deemed his course of action not to have been in the best interests of the various stakeholders.”
Topping off a crap weekend for Ward the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport has found him guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute.
[Thanks to Ryan for the tip.]
6 replies on “Aussie Racing Cars’ false start at Ipswich”
The reason why the rear of the grid started racing, was that the “aborted start” yellow light went off, with one competitor presuming that meant race start. Once one started, the rest followed..
Thanks for the extra info Ryan. Could have been quite nasty. 😮
Bloody ‘Camry’ drivers……..always causing chaos.
The 7 commentators were like ‘WTF” during the live coverage.
Most exciting thing that happened all day
I hope all the drivers down the back who started on the abort light have had their CAMS licences cancelled. While Phil Ward is a self-righteous tw*t who finally got what has been coming to him for years, all those guys are just dangerous and have no place on a race track.
Absolutely correct.
The problem at the back was caused because the “abort start” light wasnt flashing – it came on – and then turned off.
One driver thought this meant the race had started, he took off and others followed.
Why isnt the issue of the light and the drivers actions being looked at as well?
And I have no doubts Ward would not have done anything if the officials had taken the category seriously and had put out the warning flags.
Most of the drivers did not know about the oil (before Ward stopped the race) and cars did spin out.
It’s all too easy to blame someone else (who put the safety of others first) while the real causes of the danger are ignored.
It is all too easy to blame Ward