Brede shows his best
14/8/2004 15:11 (Press Release) -
Team Dynamik’s Dale Brede turned the corner in his V8 Supercar career with a season-best 12th place in today’s wild and woolly 300km race to complete Round 7 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Brede kept his cool and his Roadships car #45 straight on a drama-charged day of spins, safety cars and surprises.
He fell a lap behind early in the race after pitting to repair a punctured right front tyre. But he kept faith in his strategy and regained the lap during a pace car period, then stuck with the leading bunch.
Team Dynamik’s Simon Wills, in the Roadships car #44, was one of the early spins, beaching in the turn 11 gravel trap on lap 5. It cost him two laps and ruined his podium chances.
He maintained great race pace afterward – recording the third quickest lap of the race with a 1:25.3302s. He finished in 23rd position to collect 60 Championship points and a great pointer that podium results are not far away.
But it was Brede’s day, after enduring some frustrating results in his debut V8 Supercar season. “It was good to get a decent place today. It was a bit of a monkey on my back. Finally all the hard work has paid and it was a real boost of confidence,” he said.
Brede showed he belonged in the Supercar series, dicing with some of Ford’s best. “I had a good battle with Wilson, Seton and then Radisich,” he said. “I really enjoyed myself and had a good time out there!” Finally, he paid tribute to his crew: “The boys did a great job with the preparation of the car”.
Brede collected 126 Series points, which places him on 244 points and in 32nd place. Wills is in 30th place for the Series, with 364 points.
It was an uplifting finish to a frustrating weekend for the South Australian V8 outfit. Persistent rain during earlier practice and qualifying hindered set-up for both cars, pushing the cars back in the pack.
Wills qualified 23rd and Brede 29th, with both struggling to find grip in the slippery conditions.
Former Australian Formula Ford champion Will Davison, contracted by Team Dynamik to drive for the Imrie Motorsport team, had an disappointing debut in the VY Commodore car #14. It retired after just one lap with clutch problems but his practice form suggested a bright future in V8 Supercars.
Holden driver Cam McConville snatched today’s race, with a race-winning overtaking move on Rick Kelly on the final turn. Jason Bright was third to make it Holden 1-2-3.
The V8 Supercars travel to Sydney's Oran Park for the next round, from August 13-15.
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