Full Throttle

The “buzz” this week in NASCAR Nation is sponsorship, the economy, and the possibility of reduced starting fields. I’ll be addressing that topic specifically shortly (or not, but will get to it) in another post.

My point for now being, things can be much worse on the sponsorship front, much worse.

A case in point:

This past weekend the Australian V8 Supercar Series held one of its two endurance events at Mount Panorama. The event was won for the third successive year by the co-driving team of Greg Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.

Further down the order was the rookie team of Michael Patrizi and Karl Reindler. Driving for the Ford Rising Stars team they finished 19th 5 laps down to the winners in the six plus hour event.

As a point of reference, only 20 teams completed the event from the 27 car starting field.

The 19th place finish wasn’t good enough for one of the teams co-sponsors. Rookie Patrizi was attacked by a sponsor of his team after the Bathurst 1000.

The young V8 Supercar driver suffered bruising and lacerations to his face when he was head-butted by a director from electrical testing company Tex Onsite. The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Bathurst 1000 when Patrizi was walking with his girlfriend in pit lane at Mt Panorama.

Witnesses say the director, whose company sponsors the Ford Rising Stars team, ran 15 meters to confront the 23-year-old rookie before head-butting him. The attacker was restrained by three men as he questioned Patrizi’s driving ability.

A shocked Patrizi, who finished the race in 19th place, confirmed the senseless attack.

“To be honest with you, I am still in shock,” he said.

“He was full of alcohol and I have no idea why he did it. It is not the sort of thing you need after a race like that.”

“V8 Supercars Australia has taken strong action against a team’s minor sponsor following an incident soon after the conclusion of the Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama on Sunday evening,” chairman Tony Cochrane said in statement.

“A director of a team sponsor engaged in conduct towards a V8 Supercar driver which V8 Supercars considers to be highly inappropriate. The V8 Supercars Championship Series has never had an incident of this kind in its history.

“V8 Supercars Australia will not tolerate this behaviour from any person that attends a championship event, including anybody that is linked to a championship team. As a result, V8 Supercars has invoked a ban on accreditation of that person until the end of the 2009 season.”

Ford Rising Stars team owner Jim Morton refused to comment when contacted.

I suppose things could be worse for a rookie driver getting the “WWE Treatment,” like getting the ol’ heave-ho so late in the season your options are limited, but you have to wonder if team owner Morton will go looking for a replacement to this sponsor.

One would hope so, I know I would, economics be damned.

AS A SIDE NOTE for you SaidHeads. NASCAR’s part-timer Boris Said DNF’d the event, finishing in 23rd for Supercheap Auto, completing 67 laps.

Related articles Within the FT Network:

• Dean Canto Sets Bathurst Lap Record
• Garth Tander on Bathhurst Pole
• Bathurst Practice Led by Lowndes and Whincup