Bathurst 1000 co-driver Zak Best and Tickford Racing have each been slapped with a $3000 fine for a bizarre incident involving a golf buggy.
The customary pre-event track walk on Wednesday affords Supercars drivers and teams the opportunity to either sight the circuit by foot or at pedestrian speed in a vehicle.
However, Best was found to have driven a golf buggy at an excessive speed by Motorsport Australia officials.
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Of the $3000 fines, $2000 is suspended for each party until the end of the year.
A stewards report reads, “After a RD [Race Director] investigation into reports that during the Track Walk activity an unregistered golf buggy was observed to being driven on the circuit (a public road) at an excessive speed and the occupants were not wearing any restraint device, and following admissions by Zak Best and Tickford Racing of a breach of Rule B6.5.6.1 – A person must not perform any act or make any omission which is negligent and causes, or is reasonably likely to cause, any personal injury or damage to property – the stewards imposed a fine of $3,000 on each of Zak Best and Tickford Racing Pty Ltd, $2,000 of which was suspended until 31 December 2022 subject to no further breach of a similar nature during this period.”
Best will pilot the No.55 Ford Mustang with Thomas Randle in the Bathurst 1000.
Randle was only 27th in the 28-car field on Thursday, more than three and a half second off the pace of Practice 1 pace-setter Will Davison for Dick Johnson Racing.
In the designated co-driver practice that followed, Best was seventh overall and only 0.9s off of Practice 2 topper Garth Tander for Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Best is also on double duties, competing in the second-tier Super2 Series.
He was fourth fastest in Practice 1 and 13th in Practice 2 on Thursday, but found speed on Friday to take pole position for Race 1.
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