V8 Appetiser At Albert Park!
4/3/2004 19:05 (Press Release) -
It's the "almost-but-not-quite" start to the 2004 V8 Supercar season this weekend, when Australia's favourite touring car "show" hits Melbourne's Albert Park circuit on the support program to the F1 cars at the Australian Grand Prix!
While the season proper begins in Adelaide in under 3 weeks at the Clipsal 500, V8 Supercar fans that have been waiting 3 months or more for their V8 "fix", welcome the opportunity to see which teams are on the pace for the 13 rounds ahead.
For the Holden Racing Team the Aussie Grand Prix support races have been much anticipated, as it looks forward to a season that focuses on racing, as opposed to the dramas of 2003. With a crew and drivers that are rested and refreshed, the non-championship event gives the Team a chance to analyse the technical plans and changes put in place over the off season.
Fresh from a valuable test day at Winton yesterday (Monday March 1st) the V8 Supercar support races at the AGP gives the Team another testing option prior to Adelaide.
"Being non championship and given that Albert Park is an entirely different type of track to Winton, it helps in giving us a lot of data to analyse and act on for the first couple of rounds," HRT's Mark Skaife said this week.
"Obviously, we can benchmark ourselves against the opposition and you can't ignore the fact it's a great showcase for us before a huge crowd and a massive television audience through Network Ten. A good result at Albert Park is a real commercial benefit for our sponsors and a confidence booster for the Team/.
"The actual aspect of going racing again is the part I'm looking forward to.
It's what we're all about as drivers and after a 3-month lay-off, the thought of being back behind the wheel of the HRT VY Commodore for another season at a venue like Albert Park is a very exciting prospect." Skaife enthused.
Todd Kelly too is keen to attack Albert Park's unique combination of a semi-permanent street & road circuit.
"It's a good challenge as it's a once a year track and we only have one practice session prior to qualifying so you have to attack it from the word go to quickly learn the set up.
" As Mark said, it's a valuable weekend for testing - but only if you're actually out on the track and racing! Last year my race weekend lasted until turn 1 of lap 1 of race 1 and I was a spectator for the next 2 days.
"I qualified 2nd though - and that was first time out in the VY - so I'd like a similar sort of qualifying result but with a full crack at the 3 races this time."
The V8 Supercars schedule sees practice, qualifying and a Top 10 Shoot Out on Thursday, 10 lap races on Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, with a feature 19 lap/100 k race following F1 qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
The Shoot Out is a new inclusion this year as is Saturday's extended race, while none of the 3 races will require compulsory pit stops.
Release Date: 2/03/2004
Holden Racing Team
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