'Abuse of power': Legend lashed for TV tirade

1 year ago 90

The brace erstwhile won the Bathurst 1000 together, present ex-Supercars squad proprietor Roland Dane has deed retired astatine his erstwhile operator Mark Skaife for comments helium made connected unrecorded television.

Shane van Gisbergen's well-documented silent protestation drew the ire of Skaife, who criticised the three-time Supercars champion for his behaviour.

In the on-air tirade, the six-time Bathurst 1000 victor said van Gisbergen had a work of attraction to beryllium an ambassador of the sport.

"You really person a work arsenic a custodian of the athletics to accidental what you request to accidental astir the results and what's gone connected today," Skaife said connected Fox Sports' coverage.

"He's unbelievable, but you bash – disconnected the way – person a duty, and that (behaviour) is not right."

Crucially, Skaife's takedown lacked discourse – notably, van Gisbergen's mentation arsenic to wherefore helium had gone quiet.

A time aft the events astatine the Newcastle 500, past year's champion made a lengthy Facebook station successful which helium suggested comments helium made had "upset the apical brass", including Skaife.

Van Gisbergen has received wide enactment since, with the likes of Scott McLaughlin and Russell Ingall among those to get down him.

Now, Dane has weighed in.

In his Speedcafe.com column, Roland's View, the ex-team brag who led van Gisbergen to his 3 Supercars titles offered a scathing appraisal of Skaife's tv takedown.

Dane noted comments made by different driver, David Reynolds, who suggested a disparity betwixt the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro earlier the season-opener.

The comments themselves were problematic successful Dane's presumption – which suggested driving the Mustang comparative to the Camaro was "like if you were to play a squad successful NRL and the different squad is allowed to instrumentality drugs and you weren't allowed to instrumentality drugs."

During Fox Sports' broadcast, Skaife revealed that helium had contacted Reynolds and scolded him for the comments.

That, said Dane, was a span excessively acold and an maltreatment of power, criticising Skaife's determination to spell nationalist with the sermon arsenic good arsenic not letting class CEO Shane Howard instrumentality the lead.

"This contented of trying to unit the drivers to accidental "the close thing" has gone acold enough," said Dane.

"Having said that, I enactment my manus consecutive up and accidental that I judge what David Reynolds said connected a caller podcast astir parity was neither existent nor productive.

"However, to person him pulled into enactment by Mark Skaife was not the close mode for this to beryllium handled and, adjacent worse, was for Skaifey to past telephone this retired unrecorded connected the tv broadcast and marque a large constituent of his intervention.

"That's rather simply an maltreatment of powerfulness and position."

Skaife is simply a shareholder successful the institution which owns Supercars, Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises Ltd (RACE).

Dane noted Skaife's "conflict of interest" arsenic an proprietor and commentator.

The five-time Supercars champ's comments travel astatine a seminal infinitesimal for the category, whose caller Gen3 touring car made its racing debut astatine the Newcastle 500.

Wide World of Sports understands immoderate journalists were contacted by Skaife aft antagonistic comments regarding Gen3 were made by drivers.

"As acold arsenic the nationalist is concerned, Mark is simply a commentator and presenter," Dane continued.

"His relation down the scenes with Supercars has to beryllium cautiously managed, fixed the struggle of involvement that undoubtedly exists, and shouldn't beryllium brought into the nationalist arena during broadcasts.

"That's not to accidental that it's a concealed – it isn't. But to flaunt it successful the mode helium did calls into question the credibility of the category.

"I suggest that the Supercars enforcement absorption squad sits down with, say, the apical 5 drivers (because they each person immoderate concerns adjacent if they're not talking astir them) arsenic a substance of urgency and ensures that immoderate issues they person are taken onboard privately and dealt with wherever possible.

"And Mark, earlier you crockery retired excessively overmuch disapproval successful the absorption of drivers implicit what they accidental and do, oregon don't accidental and do, retrieve your actions astatine Eastern Creek successful 2003.

"Walking to the borderline of the way and waving your fist makes bully TV now, but astatine the clip it wasn't due behaviour for a five-time champion. Only the liars haven't got it incorrect sometimes, particularly successful the vigor of the moment, including you and me.

"I anticipation Shane Howard volition present enactment to get each the drivers onside without singling anyone retired for the benignant of disapproval that we saw connected tv connected Sunday evening. That served nary affirmative intent whatsoever different than to inflame emotions."

The Supercars play resumes astatine the Formula 1 Australia Grand Prix connected March 30-April 2.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!