US driver heads home after spat

American racer Brad Loyet has headed home midway through the International Sprint Car Series after being stood down following a push and shove last weekend.

Loyet tangled with Kiwi driver Jonathan Allard during Saturday night’s New Zealand v USA series-opener at Vodafone Speedway Western Springs. Having already damaged his car and used up a big chunk of budget from previous crashes, Loyet was fired up after the contact with Allard. The pair had an exchange of words and grabbed at each other. They were made to front stewards as a result. Loyet is understood to have expressed his feelings about the stewards’ findings in a less than professional manner and was stood down for 22 days, ruling him out for the rest of the series.

Promoter Greg Mosen said Loyet was out of line.

“He ended up having a slight bump with Jonathan Allard. I’ve seen it three or four times and there was nothing in it but enough damage to stop both of them. They were pushed to the infield and they both got out and Brad confronted Allard and they swapped muffin recipes. It was harmless and that should have been the end of it.”

That wasn’t the end of it, however, as the incident drew the ire of officials. Loyet con- tinued to speak aggressively at his hearing and was given a 22-day ban that ended his visit to New Zealand. “Brad made it abundantly clear to all that he wasn’t interested and that he was going home and that he had had enough of this place,” Mosen said.

Loyet was unable to be reached for comment but it is understood he wanted to continue to race at Palmerston North tonight and Western Springs on Saturday but the ban prevented that from happening.