Morris Bruised And Car Badly Damaged In V8 Supercar Crash
9/5/2004 13:34 (Press Release) -
Queensland driver Paul Morris is nursing heavy bruising and his Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore team faces a major repair operation after a crash during today's third round of the V8 Supercar Championship at Pukekohe in New Zealand.
Morris slammed into a trackside barrier at more than 200-km/h after the left-front tyre on his VY Commodore exploded as he drove onto the main straight of the 2.8km circuit. The accident happened in the third of the three 36-lap races at Pukekohe.
The 36-year-old Gold Coast driver was bruised in the crash, but a medical examination cleared him of broken bones. His Commodore was badly damaged, and team manager Nigel Barclay said the crew faced long working stints to have a car on the grid at the fourth round of the championship at Hidden Valley in the Northern Territory on May 22-23.
Barclay said most undamaged components on Morris' car would be removed in New Zealand and freighted by air this week to the team's workshop at the Holden Performance Driving Centre on the Gold Coast. He said these components would be fitted to a new body shell to build a car to race at Hidden Valley.
Originally it was planned for Morris' car to be returned to Australia by ship, arriving in Australia on May 15. Barclay said these plans were changed in order to have a car for Darwin.
Morris, who was seventh in the championship after two rounds, dropped to 11th position in the series after Pukekohe. He was 21st in the opening race, and 15th in the second race. Morris scored a total of 60 points at Pukekohe, which improved his championship tally to 324. Marcos Ambrose leads with 532 points.
PAUL MORRIS QUOTES: "I've got a lot of bruising – it was a big shunt!
Before the crash I'd been running in about 15th place and then I had to make a pit-stop because a wheel started to come loose. We put a new wheel on the car and I went back out. I was coming onto the main straight and the tyre went 'pop'. Once that happened I was a passenger and the car fired off across the track and into the wall on the outside.
"I'm not feeling too flash. The car is also in a bad way – the team have some long hours to get us to Darwin. In the first race I went for a 'wet' weather set-up, but it dried out. I was able to make up a few spots in the second race."
RESULTS – RACE 1 (36 laps):
POS DRIVERS CAR TIME
1. Marcos Ambrose Pirtek Ford Falcon 36:51.845
2. Jason Bright PWR Holden Commodore 37:00.091
3. Paul Radisich Betta Electrical Ford Falcon 37:09.960
4. Greg Murphy Kmart Holden Commodore 37:10.433
5. Max Wilson Betta Electrical Ford Falcon 37:13.591
6. Steven Richards Castrol Perkins Holden Commodore 37:17.961
7. Rick Kelly Kmart Holden Commodore 37:19.721
8. Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon 37:29.160
9. Craig Baird Team Kiwi Holden Commodore 37:31.351
10. John Bowe OzEmail Ford Falcon 37:32.303
OTHER:
21. Paul Morris Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore 37:53.006
FASTEST LAP: Mark Skaife 58.341-secs
RESULTS – RACE 2 (36 laps):
POS DRIVERS CAR TIME
1. Jason Bright PWR Holden Commodore 37:05.423
2. Greg Murphy Kmart Holden Commodore 37:06.208
3. Marcos Ambrose Pirtek Ford Falcon 37:13.806
4. Rick Kelly Kmart Holden Commodore 37:16.651
5. Steven Richards Castrol Perkins Holden Commodore 37:17.771
6. Paul Weel PWR Holden Commodore 37:18.327
7. Russell Ingall Caltex Havoline Ford Falcon 37:18.623
8. Steven Johnson Shell Helix Ford Falcon 37:24.994
9. Jason Richards Tasman Motorsports Holden Commodore 37:26.029
10. Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Commodore 37:27.551
OTHER:
15. Paul Morris Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore 37:38.283
FASTEST LAP: Steven Richards 57.635-secs
RESULTS – RACE 3 (36 laps):
POS DRIVERS CAR TIME
1. Jason Bright PWR Holden Commodore 34:59.815
2. Greg Murphy Kmart Holden Commodore 35:07.026
3. Marcos Ambrose Pirtek Ford Falcon 35:07.624
4. Steven Richards Castrol Perkins Holden Commodore 35:08.217
5. Rick Kelly Kmart Holden Commodore 35:16.074
6. Paul Weel PWR Holden Commodore 35:17.423
7. Russell Ingall Caltex Havoline Ford Falcon 35:18.424
8. Steven Johnson Shell Helix Ford Falcon 35:24.820
9. Jason Richards Tasman Motorsports Holden Commodore 35:25.368
10. Garth Tander Repco Valvoline Holden Commodore 35:25.710
OTHER:
DNF. Paul Morris Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore 14 laps
FASTEST LAP: Bright 57.511-secs
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after round 3): Ambrose 532, S. Richards 528, Murphy 509, R. Kelly 502, Bright 457, Baird 364, Ingall 350, Johnson 341, Bowe 326, Morris 324, Tander 322
Release Date: 02/05/2004
Sirromet - Life, Style, Wines
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