Morris Keen To Repeat 2003 Results In Queensland
2/7/2004 19:08 (Press Release) -
Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore driver Paul Morris is determined to turn the clock back 12 months and regain a front running position in the V8 Supercar Championship when the series resumes at Queensland Raceway this Sunday.
The 36-year-old Gold Coast driver and team owner qualified third and finished fourth in the Queensland Raceway round of the 2003 championship, and they were his best results of the year.
Morris said his prospects in round six of this year's championship, which comprises a 280km race, were boosted by a successful test session on the 3.1km Queensland Raceway circuit on June 22.
He drove a total of 96 laps in his VY Commodore and clocked a best lap time of 1-min 10.450-secs, which bettered the race lap record of 1-min 11.003-secs held by Holden driver Garth Tander.
"We do all our testing at Queensland Raceway so our team has plenty of data on car set-ups to suit various track conditions," said Morris.
"There's no reason why we shouldn't be very competitive this weekend, as was the case last year."
"In this last test we tried some different suspension settings and we've made some gains. In terms of engine performance at this track you need good traction out of the slow turns and the hairpin for optimum speed down the long straights."
Morris made a promising start to the 2004 championship and was in seventh position after the opening two rounds in Adelaide and at Eastern Creek in Sydney.
However, he has since slipped back to 19th after problems in the past three rounds. These included a crash at Pukekohe in New Zealand, bent steering, alternator and fuel pump problems at Hidden Valley in the Northern Territory, and a power steering failure at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth.
Morris was also penalised 50 championship points at Barbagallo Raceway for a breach of the Driving Code of Conduct after his car made contact with the Orrcon Ford Falcon of Jason Bargwanna.
"Speed-wise out car has been pretty good all season, but we've had some dramas in the last three sprint rounds, especially the crash in New Zealand," he said. "In the last couple of years we seem to have done better in the longer races, and we're hoping that continues this weekend."
Morris said his team was also keen to perform well this weekend to emulate the success of principal sponsor Sirromet Wines, which has won two international gold medals this month – for its 2002 Seven Scenes Cabernet Sauvignon in the Japan Wine Challenge, and the 2002 Seven Scenes Chardonnay in the International Wine Challenge of Asia.
"Sirromet is a Queensland company and the gold medal wines were made from 100-percent Queensland fruit, so maybe that's a good omen for us this weekend because we're a Queensland team," said Morris.
Practice at Queensland Raceway begins on Friday, with qualifying and the Top 10 Shoot Out on Saturday. Defending champion and Pirtek Ford Falcon driver Marcos Ambrose leads this year's series with 872 points. Morris has 394 points.
QUEENSLAND RACEWAY – FAST FACTS
CIRCUIT LENGTH: 3.1km
RACE FORMAT: 1 x 280km race (Sunday)
RACE LAP RECORD: Garth Tander (Holden) 1-min 11.003-secs
2003 WINNER: Russell Ingall (Ford)
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after round 5): Ambrose 872, R. Kelly 822, S.
Richards 820, Murphy 811, Bright 783, Bowe 638, Ingall 634, Tander 600, T. Kelly 597, Weel 569. Other: Morris 394
|
|
