Fast Finish To Western Weekend
15/6/2004 11:52 (Press Release) -
Team Dynamik wound up its V8 Supercar western weekend on a high, with race lap times in the top 5 and series points to take back to Adelaide. Simon Wills’ Roadships car #44 was among the five quickest cars on track, to pull back 10 places in finishing 21st in today’s final race.
And Dale Brede piloted the Roadships car #45 safely home in every race, collecting his best ever round haul of 42 series points.
In Round 5‘s final 42-lapper, Brede began in 24th while Wills had it all to do from 31st on the grid. But both pushed strongly through the difficulties of earlier races.
Wills clocked a 0:56.3388 on lap 34 of today’s race - the fifth fastest of race 3 and the sixth-quickest race lap for the weekend. It helped that his rubber was fresh after mechanical failure retired him in race 2 and 3.
In Saturday’s first 100km race, Wills lost steering out of the sweeping right hand Kolb corner, and the front left wheel and the car parted company coming down the fastest straight of the circuit. Wills brought the #44 into the pits and his first race was over just 21 laps in.
His second race finished even earlier, with another steering failure leading to retirement on lap 10.
But today his work under brakes was a feature of his racing, with turn 1 a favourite overtaking spot.
“We had to stiffen up the suspension to ease the load on the steering,” he said.
“Once we showed some race pace it was a matter of buckling down and climbing some places.”
Brede struggled for rhythm in race 1, but battled on gamely to finish 26th and collect series points. Two more consistent performances followed in races 2 and 3. He ended the round with 42 series points, his best round haul so far in his debut season.
“It took a while to get into a rhythm this weekend … but we bought the car home straight and collected points in all three races,” he said.
“As a racing package we are starting to get it together.”
Wills lies in 27th place on the Series championship, while Brede is in 32nd.
PWR’s Jason Bright today won Round 5, from Pirtek Racing’s Marcos Ambrose and K-Mart Racing’s Rick Kelly. The next Round is at Queensland Raceway, from 2-4 July.
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