Smiths Trucks Duo The Ones To Watch
18/3/2004 19:39 (Press Release) -
The Smith's Trucks Racing Team is aiming to continue its winning ways at this weekend's Round Two of the 2004 Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series with the clear goal of retaining its championship lead.
Current championship leader Alan Gurr in the #70 Smith's Trucks Commodore is totally focused on the job at hand, and being a victor on the street circuit last year in a Formula 3 open-wheeler should be taken seriously when he said, "I've done a lot of mental preparation and been running through my mind what the circuit will be like in a V8 Supercar: I'm going there with a purpose.
"It's a circuit that must be approached logically, you have to use your head rather than just be outright gutsy and hot-headed because its quite easy to end up in the wall.
"My favourite section is at the top from Wakefield Street to the back straight, its tight and twisty and not overly fast, I like to attack these corners."
Gurr's record at this circuit points the way to him being an outright contender this weekend. In 2003 he won a race in Formula 3 and was heading for victory in the final race before being "taken out" by another competitor, and in 2001 Gurr took two third placings in Australia's fastest racing cars, Formula Holden (now know as Formula 4000).
The team's other VX Commodore might be driven by someone who has never raced on this circuit before but Lee Holdsworth will doubtlessly be seen in the leading pack if his result in the previous Round is anything to go by. With only 20 laps under his belt before his first ever V8 Supercar race Holdsworth thrust the #72 Smith's Trucks Commodore into 6th place for the Round at Wakefield Park in February and this weekend intends to show this was no fluke, "I've done a lot fitness work and have been running six kilometres each day.
"The trusty Playstation has been useful in learning the track layout and it looks like really good fun, but this will depend on Qualifying well and being ahead of the mid-field carnage that never seems to be far away. I'll try to follow Alan because I know he is a good driver and I trust his cornering lines and braking points. Staying on the track and keeping it clean will go a long way, and my goal is to be in the top five."
Team Manager Ryan McLeod has performed the usual pre-preparations which did not include a test day at Victoria's Winton Raceway due to a recent back
operation: "Our plan is to get maximum points and have two undamaged cars, Adelaide is renowned for its high carnage rate and we are focused on a good championship result. Both our boys are in the top six championship positions with Alan on top, and that's how we want it to remain heading into the following Round at Winton."
This Round of the 2004 Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series is run as part of the support races for the V8 Supercar Clipsal 500, South Australia's largest sporting event. The reverse grid starting procedure for the Konica Minolta races has been abandoned for this Round in recognition of the treachery that this "concrete canyon" holds, the likelihood of collisions deemed to be too high. Two races, on Friday at 6.45pm, and Saturday 9.45am will decide the Round.
Release Date: 17/03/2004
Smiths Trucks
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