Morris penalised for jumping curbs`
20/3/2004 7:32 (Press Release) -
Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore driver Paul Morris was today penalised for driving over kerbs and will start 17th on the grid in tomorrow's first race of the opening round of the V8 Supercar Championship in Adelaide.
Morris was penalised by stewards in qualifying for the Clipsal 500, which comprises a 250km race tomorrow and another on Sunday tomorrow. He recorded a best legal lap time of 1-min 23.003-secs around the 3.2km circuit in his VY Commodore.
The 36-year-old from the Gold Coast claimed to have recorded a better lap time of 1-min 22.689-secs, which would have left him 13th in qualifying. However, the time was not officially recognised because of the kerb jumping penalty.
Morris, who is driving with an in-car air-conditioning system, met with stewards after qualifying to discuss the decision. He claimed he was not informed of the penalty until after the session had ended, which may have prevented him returning to the track on fresh tyres and attempting to clock a quicker lap. The stewards did not alter their decision.
After qualifying, 2003 Bathurst 1000 champion Greg Murphy finished fastest in the Top 10 Shoot Out to claim pole position for tomorrow's race in a Kmart Commodore. Joining him on the front row of the grid will be Jason Bright in a PWR Commodore.
PAUL MORRIS QUOTES: "I'm disappointed with our grid position. I think I could have done better than 17th, but I didn't know I'd been penalised for kerb hopping until after qualifying had finished. I would have liked to have had another shot at a quick lap. The biggest problem starting so far back is you might get caught up in someone else's accident, especially in the first few corners. The races are long and hard here so the game plan will be to try and stay out of trouble and keep moving forward. Despite the penalty in qualifying, the car feels fast and the balance is good. You've got to keep off the (concrete) walls here, and make your tyres last as long as possible."
Release Date: 19/03/2004
Paul Morris Motorsports
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