The Patron Highcroft P1 Acura was in first place when it came in for a pit stop and driver change. After the penalty, the competing de Ferran P1 Acura took the lead, and went on to win the race.
At the time, another track official indicated that the penalty had been improperly issued.
Duncan Dayton, owner of the Patrón Highcroft racing team, appealed to IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), the governing body of the American Le Mans Series.
Today, IMSA issued a reply indicating that the penalty had in fact been properly assessed.
The penalty was assessed because of differing interpretations of recently-changed ALMS safety rules regarding pit crew apparel.
The revised 2009 rules (Article 16.1.2.2 of the Standing Supplementary Regulations of the American Le Mans Series) require that a fire-bottle handler wear a “full coverage helmet with face shield that is positioned down".
The Patrón Highcroft crew member was wearing an open-faced motocross-style helmet with a chin guard, and goggles, effectively covering the entire face. The tech inspectors who reviewed all teams’ safety gear before the race saw the Patrón Highcroft helmet, and raised no objection.
During the race, a different safety inspector noted the helmet, decided it did not meet the letter of the regulations, and penalized the team 20 seconds, forcing the car to sit idle in the pits, while the competing De Ferran car took the lead in the race.
The IMSA investigation revealed that many teams were not aware of the new safety regulations, and that a second inspection was scheduled for the teams that were not in compliance. The initial inspector did not note the violation, so the Patrón Highcroft team never had a chance to bring its gear up to standard.
IMSA’s statement said that “while the team violated the rule and suffered the consequences, had IMSA’s inspection procedures not broken down, the violation would probably not have occurred in the first place.”
Since the team did indeed violate the safety regulation, the penalty and the race result, are considered valid.
The Patrón Highcroft team, in its statement, said, “Our team’s efforts to clarify the penalty were in no way meant to tarnish the victory by our sister Acura team at de Ferran Motorsport. We wish to congratulate them on their win and look forward to continuing our battle for the LMP1 championship at Salt Lake City.”
The next ALMS race, the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix, takes place on May 17. For more information please visit the Miller Motorsport Park website.
