Besieged Supercars outfit Team Sydney has been branded "a national embarrassment" by a major sponsor who followed veteran driver James Courtney out the door.
Courtney stunned the championship on Saturday by quitting Team Sydney after a single race, the Adelaide 500.
Boost Mobile, an 11th-hour sponsor secured for the team by Courtney, has also severed ties with the small Holden outfit.
Courtney accused Team Sydney of failing to honour "a big commitment". The dispute was at least partly over salary, according to reports.
Courtney claimed that if not for his origins in Western Sydney and a friendship with team boss Jonathan Webb, the former Bathurst champion, he would have walked away sooner.
Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton lashed Team Sydney, formerly known as Tekno Autosports, as a half-baked rabble in this fiery Instagram post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9N85UrAm0I/?utm_source=ig_embed&"Honestly when is @supercarschampionship going to stop this charade. This team is ill-prepared, under-funded and frankly, Team Sydney is a national embarrassment to the sport," Adderton wrote.
"As someone who grew up in Western Sydney only a few kms from Sydney Motorsport Park, this is so sad to see. It also has me now questioning if they allow this to continue.
"@supercarschampionship snr management along with @visitnsw @sydneymotorsportpark if they don't step in and give it to a team that will commit to guaranteed funding, a snr team who has the management and staff to support it and cars that are not made from the spare parts division of @redbullholden ...
"Nothing against Tekno, for sure they tried but it's time to move on ... as a Sydney motorsport fan this is killing me."
Despite Courtney's exit and Adderton's damning assessment, Team Sydney has committed to running two cars for the remainder of the Supercars championship. Chris Pither remains in the other car and Coca-Cola is the major sponsor.
"Team Sydney remains committed to delivering two competitive Supercars in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship," Webb said in a statement.
"James Courtney's departure from Team Sydney will not affect this.
"We confirm that Chris Pither and Coca-Cola Amatil remain committed to Team Sydney, despite speculation from media outlets.
"We continue our preparation for competition at the Australian Grand Prix and will release the driver and livery of Car 19 in due course.
"On behalf of our team and my family, I'd like to thank our sponsor partners and followers for their continued support and involvement in the Team Sydney project.
"We will fortify our efforts and move forward. Lastly, we wish James the best for his racing future."
Team Sydney would be liable for a $150,000 fine per event missed, but intends to be on the grid for the championship's next round at Albert Park from March 12-15.
Courtney did not finish race one of the Adelaide 500, then placed 15th in race two. The former series champion, 39, said that he'd had interest from several teams after quitting Team Sydney and could race again this season in the enduro events.
"It was a big commitment that was made in the start, which was a big part of my deal," Courtney told Ten's RPM when asked why he quit, saying that Adderton had advised his decision.
"I probably let it go on unresolved for too long, because of a friendship with Jon.
"After Adelaide, it became pretty evident it wasn't going to be honoured. Enough was enough and I had to do what we did.
"It's good. It's done. Now we can press on and see where the rest of the year's going to hold."
Courtney has retained the backing of Boost Mobile in the Team Sydney split. The 15-time Supercars race winner appeared confident when asked if he would get another drive in 2018.
"Yeah, I'd like to think that I will," he told RPM on Sunday. "The interest and what's been happening over this last-12 hour period is indicating I will be."
Pither placed 17th in race one of the Adelaide 500 and didn't finish race two.
"I am pleased to clarify I'm not going anywhere and I'm grateful to be back in the Supercars Championship," he said in the Team Sydney statement.
"Jon Webb and his team have done a great job to get Team Sydney on the grid this year and secure Coca-Cola Amatil as a partner.
"We are a new team, we have realistic expectations, we all want results, we have passion and we will continue to grow."
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/motorsport/supercars-james-courtney-team-sydney-exit-boost-mobile-founder-slams-team/469f2f27-5bf8-4bfa-9578-6e2a3a508544
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