Chaos at first ASCAR round

Competitors in the championship were supportive of Pover's efforts, with driving standards being a major talking point. Some drivers suggested the unforgiving Avon tyres played a part in the incidents, although reigning champion and tyre tester Ben Collins laid the blame squarely with the drivers.

Collins said: "There is no problem with the tyres. There was a lot of stupid driving going on out there. Even some of the people I've raced with before without problems were getting involved. People were just spearing into the back of each other. It's lucky that nobody was seriously hurt."

Privateer Mark Proctor, one of the few to avoid being collected by any incidents during the meeting, said: "I feel so sorry for Ashley. He has worked so hard to get a big crowd and a grid of cars out there for this championship, and then this happens. To get through the weekend with a straight car was the priority for me."

Standards were much improved in the second race, although Michael Vergers was given a stop/go penalty after being blamed for putting Shaun Richardson into a spin at the exit of Turn 4. Richardson was later given a 30-day licence endorsement after an altercation between Vergers and one of the Kidd-Richardson team mechanics in parc ferme.