FAILED APPEAL HITS BROWNING’ S TITLE BID
Luke Browning’s appeal against a disqualification he received at Oulton Park has failed, meaning a potential Ginetta Junior championship lead remains a 37-point deficit with four rounds remaining.
The 16-year-old led throughout the opening Oulton race but was later excluded after his car’s differential had insufficient oil to take a sample.
Browning and his Richardson Racing team claimed this was because of damage sustained to the differential over kerbs during the race. But this was rejected by the National Court last week.
After a hearing, chairman of the panel David Munro said: “Championship Regulation CR 5.1.14 requires the use of lubricants specified and supplied by Ginetta in the specified amount. Bulletin 2 requires that each component must be able to produce a minimum sample of lubricants. In the case of the differential this is to be 0.5 litres.
“While the car was in parc ferme the differential oil level was checked. It proved to be difficult to extract a sample and ultimately no more than 0.2 litres could be obtained. The appellants assert that oil must have been lost during the course of the race and maintain that this was due to the mechanical failure of a component. The panel have not been provided with any cogent evidence that this is, in fact, the case.
“It is noted that the team declined to act on the suggestion that the components in question should be examined by Ginetta.
“The panel has considered the video evidence submitted which does not support the contention that oil was lost during the competition. The scrutineer did not find any evidence of fresh oil when the vehicle was examined in parc ferme.
“It is not considered that exceptional circumstances are present in this case and it follows that the disqualification from the results of the race is upheld.”
The appellants were ordered to pay £500 costs.
The result of the appeal is a huge blow for Browning, with Elite Motorsport’s Adam Smalley now successfully installed in the championship lead.