HRT on the Verge of Exclusion.

THE future looked bleak for V8 Supercars driver and Holden Racing Team owner Mark Skaife tonight as the wrangle over his team ownership continued.

Skaife met a deadline imposed by the Touring Car Entrants Group (TEGA), the governing body for the V8 Supercar Championship teams, to supply documentation.

But a TEGA spokesman said the organisation had decided to take legal advice on the situation and announce a decision before the next round of the championship, due to commence in Perth on Friday week.

If TEGA is not satisfied, HRT will be booted from the championship.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21367789-23770,00.html

This saga has been ongoing for some months now. It seems TEGA (Touring-car Entrants Group) are questioning the true ownership of the Holden Racing Team. They have been investigating both HRT and the Toll/HSV team with allegations that both team are operating under the same owner (which is naughty!). HSV have cleared themselves, but it seems Skaifey has let HRTs ownership change without informing TEGA – which could spell the end of HRTs racing license for good.

This would impact the V8 Supercar series in a dramatic way, not only is HRT one of the premier teams in the comp, but Todd Kelly (HRT Car# 22) won the first round of the championship at Adelaide last week.

The HSV team which seems slightly involved in this too just happens to be the home of Rick Kelly, controversial Series Champion from 2006 – which leaves the whole deal feeling slightly more dirty.

[Sidenote ~ did anyone else notice Rick’s mullet during the Adelaide round! A mullet with hairy sideburns… I know drivers usually have bad hair after the helmet comes off, but Rick that’s just bad all the time! – end sidenote]

Seeing HRT banned would not be the best thing for V8s, but I guess even if it was FPR I’d want to see justice done, and HRT have already been given so many breaks to provide all the paperwork. Waiting to see what happens....



Post Script
http://www.v8supercar.com.au/news/latestnews/newsdisplay.asp?Ind=&author=&gid=32660416

Holden Racing Team have been cleared to race with no penalty. I think the rest of the field who have done the right thing have the right to feel slightly ripped off that no penalty at all has been given.