Gurr joins Morris for Sandown and Bathurst V8 Supercar endurance races
14/8/2004 15:14 (Press Release) -
Emerging driver Alan Gurr will partner Queenslander Paul Morris in the Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore in this year's V8 Supercar Championship endurance races at Sandown in Victoria and Bathurst in NSW.
Gurr is competing in the 2004 Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series, and won the opening round at Wakefield Park in NSW in a Smith's Trucks Commodore before switching to the Holden Young Lions team.
The 22-year-old has been employed by Paul Morris Motorsports, based at the Holden Performance Driving Centre on the Gold Coast, since mid-2003.
Gurr has raced a VX Commodore this year, and is keen to maximise the opportunity of driving Morris' newer-specification VY Holden in the Betta Electrical Sandown 500 on September 12, and the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst on October 10.
"Sandown and Bathurst will be a step up for me this because Paul's VY (Commodore) is going to be the most competitive V8 Supercar I've raced," said Gurr.
"I did a few laps of testing the VY at Queensland Raceway in June and straight away you notice quite a few changes from the cars I've been racing – it's more responsive to changes and there are more variations."
"It's great to get this chance in a good car in the 'main' series, and Bathurst is the biggest race of the year. The ball is now in my court."
Morris, who has made 11 previous starts in the Bathurst 1000 with a best result of third in 1999 with Mark Skaife in a Holden Racing Team Commodore, said Gurr had been earmarked as a potential endurance team-mate when he joined the team and had since earned the chance to co-drive in the endurance events.
"Alan has done a good job in the Konica (Minolta) series this year," said Morris. "He a quick driver, and he's also got a mature attitude to all aspects of his racing."
"We will be giving him more test 'miles' in my car before the endurance races and I've got no doubts he will be on the pace at Sandown and Bathurst. It's good to see young guys coming through and developing their careers."
Gurr said being on the staff at Morris team would assist his endurance racing prospects because he had already established working relationships with key personnel, including Technical Manager Paul Ceprnich.
"I'm guided by what Paul (Ceprnich) wants me to do and what not to do," said Gurr. "The testing in the next few months will help me get to know the car and it's limits, and to adapt to the car set-up."
"In the races my job will be to do consistent times, stay on the lead lap, and give the car back to Paul (Morris) in good condition. You've got to find a balance of going quick enough, but not overdoing it."
Gurr has raced at Bathurst twice before, in Commodores 2002 and 2003, but was forced to retire both years. He also drove a Commodore at Sandown in 2003, finishing 27th with New Zealand's Andy McElrea.
"I'm grateful for the chances I've had at Bathurst before, but the cars were quite old and I had to spend a lot of time keeping out of the way of the fast guys," said Gurr. "With a quicker car this year I won't have to keep an eye on the mirrors as much."
Gurr's preparation for this year's Bathurst event will include driving a Smith's Trucks Commodore in the race for Konica Minolta Series cars on the 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit the day before he teams up with Morris in the Sirromet Wines VY in the 1000km enduro.
"Paul (Morris) will do most of the lead-up driving in our car in practice at Bathurst, so the race for the 'Konica' cars will give me the chance to do some extra race laps," said Gurr. "
After winning the opening round of this year's Konica Minolta Series, Gurr's assault on the title faltered when he crashed the Smith's Trucks Holden in the next race in Adelaide and he suffered a cracked vertebrae and torn muscles in his right shoulder.
He missed the third round at Winton in Victoria, before linking up with the Holden Young Lions for the past two rounds at Eastern Creek in NSW and Queensland Raceway near Ipswich.
Gurr's motorsport career began in karting and he won Australian and Oceania championship titles as a teenager in the 1990s. He made his Formula Ford debut in 2000, and in the following two years raced occasionally in the Super Touring and Formula Holden categories.
Since joining the staff at Paul Morris Motorsports, he has had the opportunity to gain work experience in the team's design, engineering, manufacturing, data acquisition, and engine development departments. He has also been a driving instructor for the Holden Performance Driving Centre.
"Working for the team has given me first-hand experience of learning more about all aspects of racing and what goes on behind the scenes," he said.
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