VESRIX Statistical Preview - Canberra
7/6/2000 10:43 (Shane Rogers) - Statistics for Round 6 of the 2000 Shell Championship Series, the GMC 400, Canberra Street Circuit, Parkes, Australian Capital Territory.
This is the first time the Canberra Street Circuit has been used for circuit racing, and is believed to be the first time major circuit racing has been held in the ACT. ACT is better known as a venue for Rallying with the Rally of Canberra and prior to that the Southern Cross Rally.
Street Circuits have a long history in V8Supercar though with events having been held at seven other venues. (the Adelaide Formula One circuit, the Surfers Paradise Champ Car circuit, Albert Park Formula One circuit, the rebuilt Adelaide Parklands circuit, and two different versions of the Wellington Street Circuit) Technically Mount Panorama is also a street circuit although it is much more like a road course in layout.
The 40 street circuit races in V8Supercar have been won by John Bowe (10), Russell Ingall (8), Mark Skaife (5), Craig Lowndes (5), Paul Radisich (3), Greg Murphy (2), Mark Larkham (2), Larry Perkins, Wayne Gardner, Glenn Seton, Peter Brock and Garth Tander.
Not including different layouts to the circuits at Adelaide Street Circuit, Eastern Creek, Wellington Street Circuit and Winton, this will be the 20th circuit to hold a V8Supercar event. The others in chronological order are, Sandown, Mount Panorama, Adelaide Street Circuit, Wellington Street Circuit, Pukekohe, Eastern Creek, Amaroo Park, Symmons Plains, Phillip Island, Lakeside, Winton, Mallala, Barbagallo, Oran Park, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, Calder Park, Albert Park Street Circuit, Hidden Valley and Queensland Raceway.
Another first at this race meeting - the first pole position runoff designed to feature any number other than ten cars.
There have been 17 previous pole position runoffs involving V8Supercars. Mark Skaife has started in 16 of them. He also started the other runoff, but was not driving a V8Supercar. Steven Ellery has the best success rate having scored a pole position at his only attempt at a pole position runoff at Surfers Paradise last year. This will only be the third pole position runoff held at sprint meeting.
Race 2 will also be V8Supercars first reverse grid race.
At 200 kilometers Race 3 will be the longest sprint race in the history of the Shell Series.
Holdens outnumber Fords in the entry 19-13.
The most experienced driver present in the entry list is Glenn Seton with 249 race starts. The least experienced is Craig Baird who has 20 previous race starts. Todd Kelly is next least experienced with 23 starts.
The oldest driver in the field is Larry Perkins who on Sunday will be 50 years and 85 days old, the youngest is Paul Weel at 20 years and 326 days.
In Milestones this weekend:
- Race 1 will be Glenn Seton's 250th V8Supercar race start. He is the first V8Supercar driver to achieve this milestone. 40 of his 250 starts have ended in victories, a ratio of 16%.
- Race 1 will be Dugal McDougall's 50th V8Supercar race start. His best finish is 11th which was achieved three times.
- Race 3 should be John Faulkner Racing's 150th V8Supercar race start. The team's best finish has been three Konica Lites wins for Ryan McLeod, with the teams best national level finish being a 3rd place at Surfers Paradise last year for John Faulkner.
- Race 1 will be Craig Lowndes' 100th Shell Series race start.
- This will be Paul Morris' 20th V8Supercar meting. His best finish has been a third at last years FAI Bathurst 1000.
Neil Crompton should become the equal 7th most experienced driver in V8Supercars. Crompton currently has 179 V8Supercar starts to his credit and should equal Alan Jones' 182.
Mark Skaife needs only one top 3 finish to 100 podium positions (top 3) in V8Supercar racing.
V8Supercar Birthdays near the GMC 400 weekend:
- Colourscan Motorsport team driver and former Audi factory driver, Matthew Coleman turns 27 on Thursday June 8.
- Konica V8 Lites series leader, Ryan McLeod also turns 27 on Thursday June 8.
It is not known whether the two have been sending each other the same birthday card the last 26 years.
- Challenge Motorsport enduro co-driver and British Touring Car Championship TV commentator Charlie Cox turns 42 on Saturday June 10.
- Konica Lites competitor, Robert Smith turns 44 on Tuesday June 13.
| |
