Leading Australian country music duo “The Sunny Cowgirls” will perform an informal acoustic set in the V8 Ute Paddock this weekend at the Clipsal 500. They will play as part of the Series tenth year celebrations, which will begin with Round 1 of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by Armor All at Adelaide Parklands, 11 – 14th March.

The Sunny Cowgirls appear courtesy of V8 Ute driver Captain Robert Jarvis who has an affinity with Country Music that has seen him in the past form a tight friendship and racing alliance with multiple Golden Guitar winner Adam Brand.

The likeable hard charger from Billinudgel on the NSW/QLD border has unearthed another Country music connection and pulled off quite a coup enlisting the duo as his “grid girls” for the weekend.

These sassy sibling songstresses (Sophie and Celeste Clabburn) have never been to a race event, let alone one like The Clipsal 500 so Captain Rob was keen to oblige and even cheekily suggested that they adorn his starting spot on the grid each day.

“They’ve agreed but I don’t know that they really know what to expect,” grins the cheeky Jarvis, “however it’s great exposure for them and they’ll have a fantastic time.”

Sophie and Celeste have stormed on to the country music scene with their earthy, cheeky and unique form of musical Australiana and now have four albums under their belt – the most recent (Summer) being released in January of this year.

There’s a strong connection for the girls with former Jarvis garage-mate and team racer Adam Brand.

He’s their mentor and in many ways the man who discovered them.

The plucky sisters who had worked as jillaroos, fruit pickers, roustabouts, cattle ranch hands and even enrolled in a wool classing course while playing country music at agricultural shows, landed themselves in the CMAA College of Country Music in Tamworth at a seminar on marketing and networking conducted by singer Adam early in 2005. They listened intently, took him at his word and handed over a copy of their independent album of covers and originals, Little Bit Rusty. As Sophie recalls: “I walked up to him and gave him a copy – he looked at it and said ‘I’m going to play it in my Ute when I leave here’ and we were like, ‘yeah, right, he’s not going to listen to it’.”

He listened along with Compass Brothers Records head Graham Thompson and within weeks Australia was listening to an album that shot straight to number three on the ARIA Country Charts (with Golden Guitar nominations to follow.).

Now, the Sunny Cowgirls face their toughest gig – standing on the grid at The Clipsal 500.

A coup for Country Music and V8 Ute fans will be the fact that the girls will appear throughout the event in Captain Rob’s pit area and sign autographs too.

“We’re all really excited about having Sophie and Celeste on the team,” grins Jarvis, “We might not be Dancing on the Darling (one of the Cowgirls’ hit singles) but we’ll them clapping and cheering them at the Clipsal 500.”

The Sunny Cowgirls will play in the V8 Ute Paddock Saturday, 13th March at 1:00pm and on Sunday, 14th at 9:00am. Below is a full schedule including signing sessions and races.

Thursday, 11 March     8:50am       Practice 1 – Legend

Thursday, 11 March  12:35pm        Practice 2 – V8 Ute Series Driver

Thursday, 11 March     2:15pm       Signing Session (V8 Ute paddock)

Thursday, 11 March     4:15pm       Qualifying 1 - Legend

Thursday, 11 March     6:00pm       Qualifying 2 – V8 Ute Series Driver

Friday, 12 March          2:50pm       Signing Session (V8 Ute paddock)

Friday, 12 March         4:55pm        Race 1 – Legend

Saturday, 13 March   12:15pm       Race 2 – V8 Ute Series Driver

Saturday, 13 March     1:00pm       Sunny Cowgirls Perform (V8 Ute Paddock)

Saturday, 13 March     1:30pm       Signing Session (V8 Ute Paddock)

Sunday, 14 March        9:00am      Sunny Cowgirls Perform (V8 Ute Paddock)

Sunday, 14 March        9:30am      Sunny Cowgirls Perform (V8 Ute Paddock)

Sunday 14 March       11:35pm      Race 3 – “Ten Years of Legends Race”

The Ten Years of Legends Race (Race 3) will be televised LIVE on Network Seven on Sunday, 14th March.

  

David “Sideways” Sieders claimed the Armor All Pole Award in a spectacular opening day debut at Round One of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by Armor All – steering his One Steel #8 XR8 Falcon around the Clipsal 500 street course today to best a classy field.

Former V8 Ute frontrunner and now NASCAR Development Series driver George “Slick” Miedecke also claimed his third pole in a row in a V8 Ute in the alternate “Legends” Qualifying session at the first day of Clipsal 500 action.



Former V8 Supercar driver, Sieders, displayed his obvious skill from start to finish setting the fastest time early in the 20 minute session with a 1.38.2718s lap.



It looked for much of the session like being a Ford 1-2 when reigning champion Jack “The Hustler” Elsegood was running second in the time sheets behind Sieders in his Coopers Clear Ale Ford BF Falcon, until West Aussie Holden driver Grant “Grunta” Johnson flew through the field in the last two and a half minutes of the session to claim second only one tenth of a second behind Sieders.



Johnson, who is paired with legendary former Touring Car star Tony Longhurst this weekend, might well be racing his last V8 Ute round in the foreseeable future as he attempts to source sponsorship to allow him to compete in further rounds.



South Aussie Holden Hero Gary “Chuckie” Baxter (Sage Automation Racing) gave it his all on the last lap but it wasn’t quite enough to crack the top three and he was forced to settle for fourth ahead of Jesus Racing’s Andrew “Fishtail” Fisher in fifth and Ice-Break Racing’s Gary “The Boss” MacDonald in sixth.



2009 Clipsal podium-getter Ryal “The Kid” Harris pushed over the line in seventh in his Holden just ahead of the ever-improving Brad “Packers” Patton (DC Shoes Falcon) in eighth, the Bob Jane T-Marts SS Holden of Kim Jane in ninth and impressive newcomer Jeremy “Shades of” Gray in the ex George Miedecke XR8 Falcon who rounded out the top ten.



In the legends qualifying session it was a battle of the former V8 Ute drivers with George “Slick” Miedecke and New Zealander Chris Pither (CNW XR8 Falcon) battling it out for top spot.

Pither, the current New Zealand V8 Ute Series points leader, sat on top of the timing sheets until the final minutes when “Slick” Miedecke worked his magic and snatched away the #1 spot with a sizzling 1.38.3707 lap.



George Miedecke and Pither were trailed by a veritable who’s who of V8 Supercars with “Lucky” Luke Youlden, Steve “the Ox” Owen, Marcus “Mayhem” Zukanovic, Cameron “Conkers” McConville, Ric “The Disciple” Bates, Paul “the Dude” Morris, Tim “Payday” Leahey and “Mad Andy” Miedecke.



There were some disappointments in qualifying with “Captain Rob” Jarvis missing the session altogether due to the crew narrowly running out of time to repair gearbox damage from the previous outing.



The #72 entry of Pedro “Skater” Marusic was black flagged for a window net infringement whilst 2008 V8 Ute Series Champion Layton Crambrook has suffered wiring issues in his Ice-Break Racing Holden since the start of proceedings preventing the hard charging Territorian from having an impact on the event thus far.



South Aussie hard charger Craig “Thirsty” Dontas and gritty Sydney veteran George “Hollywood” Elliot share the dubious honour of similar mechanical woes in their respective Holdens.



The second day of the 2010 Clipsal 500 will see Race One of the Series contested at 5pm South Australian time.

Race 2 and 3 will be televised LIVE on Network Seven. Race 2 Saturday, 13th March at 1:00pm (EDST) and Race 3 in a 1 hour live program on Sunday, 14th March also at 1:00pm (ESDT).

 

Top Ten Results from V8 Ute drivers Qualifying:

Please find below top ten  V8 Ute driver practice results: