Winter Nats: INEX Cans Osborne from February 22nd Win, Championship to Fitzgerald

Leading into INEX Winter Nationals at Auburndale Speedway, the hot button issue when it came to tech surrounded engines. A month after the event, Tim’s Corner Motorsports (TCM) has confirmed with Auburndale Speedway and US Legend Cars International that the motor from the #13 Semi Pro Legend driven by Joe Ryan Osborne was deemed illegal on Night Five of the Winter Nationals.

After spotting an error in points for the Semi Pro division, TCM contacted Auburndale Speedway to request a check of the standings following the five day event. With the reply of the email, which included standings, was an update from the track stating that “the motor sent in for Joe Ryan Osborne was disqualified so he loses his top five finishes for the year and is on probation for the year.” The track, at the time of sending in the points, still had Osborne listed at the top of the standings with 198 points.

The point standings as they were sent, along with the note sent to us from Auburndale Speedway were posted on our website on the evening of March 18th. As is the case with most news in the racing community, it traveled fast. The next day, a post from Joe Ryan Osborne appeared on Facebook stating that the motor was legal for the event. Osborne also stated the rule from the 2012 rulebook that “if a motor is illegal in any way it results in immediate suspension and disqualification.” The post also stated that he still held his wins from the event and was not suspended from INEX.

Just to confirm what was sent to us from Auburndale Speedway, we sent an email off to Scott Reinhardt, the Executive Technical Director from US Legend Cars International regarding the situation. Reinhardt confirmed for us that “Joe Ryan Osborne was disqualified from the main event on February 22, 2013 at Auburndale Speedway (and additional penalties were applied by INEX).” Those additional penalties, though not explained or discussed with Reinhardt, are believed to be the relinquishment of Osborne’s top five finishes from 2013 and  probation for the year.

The engine penalties were also brought up. Prior to the INEX Winter Nationals, the penalties were changed for the Legend engine rule and was released on uslegendcars.com under the documents section. “The engine rule is posted the same as it is in the 2012 INEX rulebook, just the specific penalty was added (to the document),” Reinhardt told us in an email.

Bottom line? With the ruling from US Legend Cars International on the disqualification, Osborne will lose his points from Friday, February 22nd at INEX Winter Nationals (Osborne keeps his points and finishes from the previous four nights, as Reinhardt stated that the disqualification is only for the 2/22 race). With the disqualification, it would promote Chase Fitzgerald not only to the win on Friday night, but into the championship spot for the week, amassing 166 points to Osborne’s 158, according to our calculators, after the 40 points for the win are taken away from Osborne’s total and everyone behind the winner is promoted a spot in Friday’s finishing position.

For the Atlantic Canadian drivers in the top five, nothing changes except for two more points a piece and one more position gained on Friday’s results. Ryan Mackintosh of Amherst, Nova Scotia will still finish third in the standings with 148 points and Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia driver Cole Butcher will remain tied for fourth in the standings with Jay Coen at 144 points.

Unreleased audio from the back half of Speedweeks will be appearing on TimsCorner.ca in the coming weeks.

About Tim’s Corner:
Tim’s Corner began as a weekly stock car racing column appearing on ScotiaSpeedworld.ca and MaritimeProStockTour.com, penned by track and series announcer Tim Terry. It has now grown to include basic media services for motorsport teams big and small. TimsCorner.ca, the official website of Tim’s Corner, also features Tim’s Corner Unplugged, a podcast hosted by Terry which focuses on the motorsports scene. For more information on Tim’s Corner and services offered, visit TimsCorner.ca!