Driver quotes as the V8 Supercar Championship returns to Australia for round 3 of the 2010 season in Adelaide, the Clipsal 500.
James Whincup, Team Vodafone: "I am looking forward to another big weekend at the Clipsal 500. It is going to be a totally different experience to previous years as we have four races under our belt and it will be the first time we race our new Holden Commodores on home soil. There is a lot of speculation about the how the cars will go on a traditional bumpy street circuit but I can't wait to work with my teammate, Craig Lowndes, to get the cars up to speed as soon as possible.”
Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone: "The Clipsal 500 is one of the toughest events of the year although having already completed four races we will go there better prepared than we ever have. This has been one of my best starts to a season in the past couple of years and I am looking forward to keeping the momentum rolling on. Clipsal has always been the circuit we have pegged as really knowing what our true speed will be as it is the first track we will race on this year that we all know. It is completely different to the previous two circuits it is a more traditional bumpy circuit with lots of kerbs and 78 laps each day makes it a gruelling event.”
Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing: “We've got all the ingredients there to do well for the rest of the year. We have just got to go out and do the job that we know we can do. My thoughts don't change when I get to an event. I still want to go there and qualify on the front row and win the race. If anything, there is a little bit less pressure because anything we do moving forward will be an improvement so I'm as keen as ever to go out there and get results for Jack Daniel's Racing.”
Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing: “(The Clipsal 500) is be the biggest single driver event of the year without a doubt. It's the most prestigious event to win other than the endurance events. It's something that we look forward to and it's a tough race as well. It's definitely still the toughest race we do. It's two races that are 250 kilometres long and in Adelaide in March it's around the 30-degree mark, which means it's about 55-60 degrees in the car. It's also a pretty prestigious event and it's never going to lose that. It's the toughest event and one that is second only to Bathurst from my point of view and that says a lot.”
Alex Davison, Irwin Racing: “Our pace was very good at Yas Marina, especially in qualifying. I feel that Abu Dhabi was our true form; the Irwin Ford was doing everything I wanted it to and the entire team was clicking along nicely. The fact that our teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, collected two podium results in the Middle East shows that the potential is there. We have decided to use his base set-up for practice in Adelaide and then aim to improve the Irwin Ford from there. I can't remember a V8 weekend with no safety cars, let alone having four-straight races without one. Adelaide will be the complete opposite with the close proximity of the concrete barriers and very few run-off areas. It's one of the toughest events on the drivers, as the twin-250km races really take its toll. The event itself is one of the marquee events in the championship and it certainly would feel very special to get the championship chase back on track with a strong result at the Clipsal 500"
Tony D’Alberto, Centaur Racing: “The races in the Middle East were a grind for us, there’s no doubt about that. We struggled for speed in Abu Dhabi, while our battles with the grip in Bahrain made for a frustrating weekend. However, on the upside, we finished all four races we have a platform to build on. We came back with a straight car, so our focus for Adelaide has been on getting every facet of our operation spot on. Team manager Darron (Tait) and the crew have worked hard to make sure we give it a red-hot crack at Clipsal. Whilst gaining points in every race is vital, it’s important we push up the grid now and deliver the goods to get us up inside the top 15 or better still, the top 10. I really enjoy the circuit, it produces plenty of battles between drivers up and down the grid, and it can be a gruelling time in the cockpit, especially if the weather is warm. Every driver has to be at the peak of their fitness for this one. If you lose a second of concentration it will hurt you. Those concrete walls aren’t forgiving.”
Jason Bargwanna, Rock Racing: “The Clipsal 500 is an event that I really love. I’ve had some pretty good success there in the past and usually it’s an event that is a great way to kick the season off. It’s a top circuit and a very tough event that I really enjoy. We didn’t understand the Rock Commodore well enough in Bahrain and we paid the price. While I am still learning what these cars like in terms of set-up, we’ve had a solid start to the year so that’s very encouraging. Coming out of the Middle East and going to a circuit that we know should give us a leg up in terms of being even more competitive in Adelaide. Our aim is to come out the other side of Adelaide and be in the top 10 in the championship points and I definitely think we are capable of achieving that this weekend.”
Tony Ricciardello, Super-Max Racing: “I have raced in Adelaide twice, once on each circuit. I raced there in 2000 in the Sports Sedan on the full Grand Prix circuit at Le Mans Series event. The Grand Prix track is virtually the same – you really just miss the Turn 8 sweeper. Then in 2003 I raced at the Clipsal 500 in the Fujitsu V8 Series. I qualified fourth but had some mechanical failures set me back. So I didn’t get as many laps as I would have liked but all that experience adds up for this weekend. The two rounds we have already had this year will also help as it has allowed me to get used to the Super-Max Commodore and to also get ‘race fit’. But Clipsal is another kettle of fish. Compared to the open space of Abu Dhabi and Bahrain the barriers are right up close in Adelaide. That also adds to the heat and hurts the air circulation, so it’s a tough race. We train for hard for events like Clipsal, so the key is just keep your mind on the job for the entire race.”
Karl Reindler, Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing: "The first two rounds are in the past now; so now it's down to the business part of the season and competing on circuits I have experienced before. I'm really looking forward to Clipsal, it's one of my favourite venues, and a track I know quite well having competed in both Formula 3 and the Fujitsu Series in years past. Competing in front of huge crowds during the Clipsal event is an incredible experience; there's a fantastic vibe around the whole city. There's fun and excitement for the teams both on and off the track - it's just a brilliant weekend. BJR have traditionally been strong at Clipsal too, so that takes a lot of pressure off because we'll have a great benchmark to start from."
Jason Richard, Team BOC: “The Clipsal 500 has huge crowds and great atmosphere and is always a highlight for the drivers. I had a strong race weekend here last year here to finish 5th and coupled with a strong race in Bahrain last start and some hard work on car set up back at the workshop, I believe the Team BOC Commodore will be amongst the leaders come Sunday afternoon.”
Watch 2-hour highlights of the Clipsal 500 on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) on Sunday 21 March at 5.30pm.
Andy Wilkinson
International
