Gurr makes impressive test debut in Sirromet Wines VY Commodore
6/9/2004 13:02 (Press Release) -
Emerging driver Alan Gurr yesterday made an impressive testing debut in the Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore in preparation for racing with Paul Morris in the Betta Electrical Sandown 500 V8 Supercar Championship endurance event in Melbourne on September 12.
Gurr completed an incident-free stint of 44 laps of testing in Morris' VY Commodore at Queensland Raceway, and clocked a best lap time of 1-min 12.19-secs around the 3.1km circuit near Ipswich.
The 22-year-old was only 0.57-secs slower than Morris' quickest time of 1-min 11.62-secs in his 26 laps of testing ahead of the 500km event at Sandown, which is the ninth of 13 rounds in the 2004 championship.
Gurr, who will also drive with Morris in the following Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst 1000 endurance event on October 10, has been racing an older-specification VX Commodore in this year's Konica-Minolta Series and won the opening round at Wakefield Park.
"The test was my first 'serious' drive in the team's VY (Commodore) and it's completely different to what I've been racing this year," said Gurr.
"It's so much easier to drive and more refined. The brakes and steering feel lighter, and there's more time to think about what I'm doing in terms of driving the car. I never felt like I'd lock a brake or miss a corner so I was pleased with the way everything went."
"Sandown and Bathurst are a big opportunity for me and I'm keen to support Paul (Morris) and his team and be as competitive as possible."
Morris said he had been impressed with Gurr's ability to quickly adapt to the VY Commodore during the test.
"Alan (Gurr) is a fast learner and that's one of his strengths," said Morris. "When you tell him something he gets his head around it and adapts to it straight away. He just gets out there and gets on with it and I'm confident he will do a good job at Sandown and Bathurst."
Gurr said a large portion of his testing stint had been spent evaluating tyre performance on the VY Commodore, and familiarising himself with onboard instruments and radio communications systems, and a seat insert he will use in both endurance races.
"It was good to do some laps on 'cold' tyres because when you get in the car after a pit-stop you have to switch on quickly and get up to speed without making mistakes," said Gurr.
"The 'dash' is different, and we worked out the best way for me talk on the radio to the guys in the pits so there's no confusion. Our seat will be in Paul's usual position, and since he's bigger than me I'm using a foam insert."
Morris said another of Gurr's assets was the fact he was on the staff at Paul Morris Motorsport, located at the Holden Performance Driving Centre at Norwell near the Gold Coast.
"Alan is in the workshop every day so he knows all the crew and we have a very cohesive unit," said Morris. "I think it's an advantage for a young driver."
The Sandown race will be Gurr's fifth start in the V8 Supercar Championship. He previously contested the championship endurance races in 2002 at Queensland Raceway and at Bathurst, and again the following year at Sandown and Bathurst.
Morris, who qualified seventh and finished 10th in the previous round of this year's championship at Oran Park on August 15, said his role in yesterday's test was primarily a systems check.
"I gave the car a good 'shakedown'," he said. "Sandown has a couple of long straights so horsepower is important, and it's quite hard under brakes. Strategy, good pit-stops, and reliability are the big things with any endurance race, and Sandown will be no different."
Morris' best previous Sandown 500 result was finishing second in 1992 with Tony Longhurst in a BMW M3 behind the VL Commodore of Larry Perkins and Steve Harrington.
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.
SANDOWN RACEWAY – FAST FACTS
CIRCUIT LENGTH: 3.1km
RACE FORMAT: 1 x 500km race
RACE LAP RECORD: Craig Lowndes (Holden) 1-min 11.653-secs (1999)
2003 WINNERS: Mark Skaife-Todd Kelly (Holden)
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after round 8): Bright 1,308; Ambrose 1,295; S. Richards 1,261; R. Kelly 1,197; Ingall 1,159, Murphy 1,108; T. Kelly 1,059; Tander 975; Bowe 836; Bargwanna 790. Other: Morris 733
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