ROUGH DAY FOR SBR AT GRAND PRIX OPENER
5/3/2004 20:47 (Press Release) -
It should have been a good day for Stone Brothers Racing in the opening race of the Netspace V8 Supercar Challenge at the Foster?s Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne today ? that was not the way it turned out!
Marcos Ambrose finished sixth in the opening 10-lapper after being third early in the race in his Pirtek Falcon, but lost three spots after spinning his car on lap nine.
Russell Ingall had a great start in his Caltex Havoline Ford and moved from 13th to 10th by turn one. He was up to eighth by lap three when there was a coming together on the last turn with Rick Kelly.
Kelly hit the outside wall and Ingall moved on to make more ground until lap seven when he was hit from behind by Paul Weel and ended up in a gravel trap. Ingall did get going again, but was forced back to the paddock and will start from the back of the grid tomorrow.
Ambrose, the defending series champion, was a little philosophical about today?s results, which do not count towards his title defense.
?I bogged down a little at the start, but still managed to keep fourth spot,? said Ambrose.
?I jumped into third when Murphy spun Skaife around a couple of laps in and Murph, Jason Bright and myself settled into a good dice.
?I was battling with a little brake fade and went in a little hot at turn three.
?I knew I was going hit Bright so I just tried to get the car square with his rear bumper and try and limit the damage to him and myself.
?Thankfully I was able to get going again and get away with sixth.
?It would have been a long day tomorrow if I had to start from the back.
?I think we have reasonable car speed, but there is certainly plenty we can improve on over the weekend and before we head to Adelaide.?
Ingall, the defending Albert Park V8 Supercar champion, knows he has his work cut out for himself tomorrow, starting at the rear of the field.
?I got a great start and I think I was about 10th by the first turn,? said Ingall.
?I was on a bit of a charge and was well up beside Rick Kelly on the last turn when he came across on me. Our front wheels were virtually next to each other.
?Reports have come back to me that Kelly gave me a fair spray publicly when he got back to pit lane. I think once he and the team look at the replay they will have a different opinion. If they don?t, they are kidding themselves.
?While we got through the Kelly thing OK it was disappointing to have our race ended due to no fault of our own.
?The Caltex Havoline Ford deserved to be in the top six today, but that was not to be.
?Tomorrow?s race is 100km and I think it will pay for a lot of drivers to be a little more patient.?
Tomorrow?s V8 Supercar race over 19 laps (100km) will be held at 4pm and there will be a 10-lap race on Sunday at 10.37am.
RESULTS
1: Greg Murphy (Holden) ? 10 Laps
2: Jason Bright (Holden)
3: Garth Tander (Holden)
4: Steve Richards (Holden)
5: Paul Radisich (Ford)
6: Marcos Ambrose (Ford)
7: Jason Bargwanna (Ford)
8: Simon Wills (Holden)
9: Todd Kelly (Holden)
10: John Bowe (Ford)
DNF: Russell Ingall (Ford)
WEEKEND SCHEDULE ? AGP
V8 SUPERCARS
Saturday, March 6, 2004
12.05pm-12.20pm ? Driver Parade lap
4pm-5pm ? Race 2 (19 Laps)
Sunday, March 7, 2004
10.35am-11.10am ? Race 3 (10 Laps)
TV TELECAST ? NETWORK TEN
Saturday ? March 6, 2004
10am-5pm (EDST) ? 9am-4pm (Queensland)
Sunday ? March 7, 2004
10am-5pm (EDST) ? 9am-4pm (Queensland)
Release Date: 5/03/2004
Stone Brothers Racing
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