Gurr Makes Winning Debut In V8 Supercar Konica Minolts Series
23/2/2004 2:02 (Press Release) -
KONICA MINOLTA V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1
WAKEFIELD PARK, NSW: Race Report, Sunday, Sunday, February 22
GURR MAKES WINNING DEBUT IN V8 SUPERCAR KONICA MINOLTA SERIES
Paul Morris Motorsports staff member Alan Gurr today made a stunning debut in the V8 Supercar Konica Minolta Series by winning the opening round of the 2004 season at Wakefield Park near Goulburn.
The round comprised three races on the 2.2km circuit. Gurr, driving a Smiths trucks VX Holden Commodore, won the first race, and then finished 11th in the second event which featured a reverse-grid start, and fourth in the third and final race.
The 22-year-old claimed overall honours with a tally of 166 points. Luke Youlden also scored 166 points in a Super Cheap Auto Ford Falcon, but Gurr was declared winner on a countback of race wins.
Sydney-born Gurr joined the staff at Morris' V8 Supercar team, which is located at the Holden Performance Driving Centre on the Gold Coast, in September, 2003. The Commodore Gurr is driving in the Konica Minolta Series was built by Morris' Sirromet Wines-sponsored team in 2002 and raced by them in the V8 Supercar Championship before being sold to the Smiths Trucks operation. Sirromet Wines is one of the Smith Trucks team's sponsors.
Morris was at Wakefield Park assisting Gurr, who before today had raced a V8 Supercar only four times – in the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000 endurances events in 2002, and the Sandown 500 and Bathurst in 2003. He raced karts as a teenager before moving into Formula Ford in 2000, and then competed in Super Touring, Formula Holden, and Formula 3.
Gurr qualified third at Wakefield Park. In the first race over 17 laps he took the lead on lap 10 and was never headed. His winning margin was 4.324-secs to second-placed Matthew White in a Gulf Western/Jayco Ford Falcon.
With a reverse-grid for race two, Gurr started the 12-lap event from the rear of the field. He was 23rd at the end of the opening lap, but improved steadily as the race wore on to finish 11th, despite temporarily going off the track following contact with another car. The final race over 14 laps was stopped because of rain and then re-started. Gurr began fourth on the grid and was never lower than eighth before claiming fourth position.
The second round of the series is at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide from March 18-21, where Morris will also be competing in the first round of the V8 Supercar Championship in his Sirromet Wines VY Commodore.
ALAN GURR QUOTES: "We hadn't tested the car before the weekend so we were aiming for somewhere in the top five. To come away with a race win, and winning the round, was a great way to start the season and I'm very happy. I've never really been in a V8 Supercar as good as this before. In practice we worked on setting the car up to look after the tyres and get rid of a mid-corner push. I didn't have any tyre problems at all in the races. There were quite a few variables today, with things like the reverse grid, where anything can happen, and then the rain in the last race. I concentrated on staying out of trouble and keep moving forward. The only problem I had was passing a slower car in Turn One in the second race – there was contact and I went off into the sand, but I got going again. It's good to be leading the championship, but it's still early in the season and the aim in Adelaide will be to keep scoring points. I've got to thank Smiths Trucks for giving me the opportunity to race this year, and also Paul (Morris) and his team for the interest they've shown in my career and the chance to do a bit of testing here and there."
PAUL MORRIS QUOTES: "Alan (Gurr) did a great job today. The competition is pretty fast at the front of this championship, and Alan showed he can match it with them ability-wise. I was also impressed with the way he went about things – he doesn't have much experience in these cars, but he kept his cool when the pressure was on. A lot of people are probably saying 'where did this guy come from'. In reality Alan has been around a few years, like a lot of other young guys trying to get a chance to show what they can do. Now that he's in a competitive car it doesn't surprise me that he's done so well today. I'm sure everyone will be hearing a lot more of him in the future."
RESULTS – Race 1 (17 laps):
POS DRIVER CAR TIME
1. Alan Gurr Smiths Trucks Holden Commodore 17:26.734
2. Matthew White Gulf Western/Jayco Ford Falcon 17:31.058
3. Cameron McLean Howard Racing Ford Falcon 17:35.370
4. Andrew Jones BOC Gases Ford Falcon 17:35.599
5. Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu Ford Falcon 17:36.043
FASTEST LAP: Kelly 1-min 00.103-secs
RESULTS – Race 2 (12 laps):
POS DRIVER CAR TIME
1. Mal Rose Rupprecht Motorsport Ford Falcon 12:42.953
2. Michael Caruso Holden Young Lions Commodore 12:45.022
3. Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Ford Falcon 12:46.285
4. Mark Porter Hydraulink Holden Commodore 12:50.056
5. Owen Kelly Team Fijutsu Ford Falcon 12:50.640
OTHER:
11. Alan Gurr Smith Trucks Holden Commodore 13:09.810
FASTEST LAP: Kelly 1-min 00.909-secs
RESULTS – Race 3 (14 laps):
POS DRIVER CAR TIME
1. Andrew Jones BOC Gases Ford Falcon 17:13.598
2. Matthew White Gulf Western/Jayco Ford Falcon 17:16.021
3. Cameron McLean Howard Racing Ford Falcon 17:27.877
4. Alan Gurr Smiths Trucks Holden Commodore 17:28.426
5. Phillip Scifleet Rupprecht Motorsport Ford Falcon 17:30.342
FASTEST LAP: White 1-min 12.743-secs
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after round 1): Gurr 166, Youlden 166, White 160, Fernandez 158, D'Alberto 144, Holdsworth 136, Porter 134, Wallis 134, Jones 122, McLean 122
Release Date: 22/02/2004
Paul Morris Motorsports
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