Season best finish at Sandown for Orrcon Racing
18/9/2004 17:39 (Press Release) -
Jason Bargwanna and Mark Winterbottom overcame adversity aboard the Number 10 Orrcon Racing Falcon to record the Gold Coast based team’s best round finish of 2004 at the Betta Electrical Sandown 500 in Melbourne today.
After qualifying through his fourth top ten shootout of the year Melbourne based Bargwanna, the more experienced of the pair, took to the start line from ninth position on the grid for the 161-lap journey.
“This is always the most nervous time as a co-driver sitting back watching your team mate do the hard work in the early laps and miss all of the incidents,” said Winterbottom.
Following an opening stint that included a number of safety car periods to retrieve cars that were stranded on the rain soaked grass Bargwanna pitted for the first time on lap 54 whilst in third position.
Just prior to Bargwanna pitting for the compulsory brake pad, tyre change and fuel stop Mark Larkham pitted handing over the driving duties in the Number 20 Orrcon Racing Falcon to V8 Supercar debutant Matt Halliday.
Larkham was enduring a minor engine misfire while holding a position just outside the top 20.
As Bargwanna entered pit lane the reserve fuel pump failed halting him 50 metres from the Orrcon Racing pit bay. It was only feverous work by the team who pushed the car into the pit bay ensuring they remained in contention.
Winterbottom steered through some mid race carnage where several of the top runners were eliminated to be well inside the top ten when he returned to the pit area on Lap 89 to complete a “splash and go” fuel stop.
“We were doing the numbers as wanted to make sure our fuel mileage would get us to the end without a heap of risk, under a safety car period we took the opportunity to fill up which put us out of cycle with everyone else but only dropped us one spot,” said team engineer Jamie Wattam.
When the safety car emerged again on lap 109 it was time for Winterbottom to hand the reigns back to Bargwanna for the run to the finish.
As he pitted the car for the third time of the event Winterbottom was the race leader. The Number 10 Orrcon Racing Falcon returned to the circuit in seventh position with Bargwanna at the wheel.
Over the closing stages Bargwanna was engaged in a close battle with the likes of Brad Jones, Greg Murphy, Cameron McConville and Warren Luff for third through to seventh position.
Bargwanna held strong to cross the line sixth, in the process recording his career best result at the historic Melbourne circuit. The sixth place was also a career best for Winterbottom career best after last year finishing 11th last year.
Halliday was involved in an incident with 50 laps remaining forcing the team to replace the steering arm and several other components in the left front corner of the car.
After returning to the track for the remainder of the race the kiwi endured electrical problems ending his race within sight of the finish.
“Today was a great effort by the team with a great strategy to make sure we stayed in a competitive position after the fuel pump problem early in the race,” said Bargwanna.
“We can now focus on Bathurst with the knowledge that was have a very strong race car. If it wasn’t for the minor issues we had today we would have been on the podium, if we can get through Bathurst with no issues we will be a serious contender.”
Marcos Ambrose and Greg Ritter took out today’s event followed by Russell Ingall and Cameron McLean ahead of Steven Johnson and Warren Luff.
Ambrose now leads the Championship on 1487 points ahead of Jason Bright on 1464 with Steven Richards 67 points behind in third. Bargwanna is 10th on 962 with Winterbottom 22nd on 764.
BETTA ELECTRICAL SANDOWN 500 – RESULTS
2004 V8 Supercar Championship Round 9
1: Marcos Ambrose / Greg Ritter (Ford) 160 Laps
2: Russell Ingall / Cameron McLean (Ford)
3: Steve Johnson / Warren Luff (Ford)
4: Cameron McConville / Garth Tander (Holden)
5: Greg Murphy / Rick Kelly (Holden)
6: Jason Bargwanna / Mark Winterbottom (Ford)
7: Brad Jones / John Bowe (Ford)
8: Paul Dumbrell / Tony Longhurst (Holden) 159 Laps
9: Jason Richards / Fabian Coulthard (Holden)
10: Jason Bright / Paul Weel (Holden)
11: Marcus Marshall / Matthew White (Holden)
12: Anthony Tratt / Tomas Mezera (Holden) 158 Laps
13: Craig Baird / Mark Porter (Holden)
14: Peter Brock / Jason Plato (Holden) 156 Laps
15: Steven Richards / Jim Richards (Holden) 155 Laps
16: David Besnard / Charlie O’Brien (Ford) 154 Laps
18: Craig Lowndes / Glenn Seton (Ford) 152 Laps
19: Alain Menu / Adam Macrow (Ford)
20: Kurt Wimmer / Christian D’Agostin (Holden)
21: Alex Yoong / John McIntyre (Ford) 148 Laps
22: Steve Ellery / Luke Youlden (Ford) 142 Laps
23: Mark Skaife / Todd Kelly (Holden) 133 Laps
24: Garth Walden / Grant Elliott (Ford) 123 Laps
DNF: Nathan Pretty / Allan Simonsen (Holden) 122 Laps
DNF: Dale Brede / Will Davison (Holden)
DNF: Mark Larkham / Matt Halliday (Ford) 121 Laps
DNF: Owen Kelly / David Brabham (Ford) 111 Laps
DNF: Simon Wills / Paul Stokell (Holden) 108 Laps
DNF: Jamie Whincup / Alex Davison (Holden) 83 Laps
DNF: Dean Canto / Yvan Muller (Ford) 39 Laps
DNF: Paul Radisich / Max Wilson (Ford) 37 Laps
DNF: Tim Leahey / Steve Owen (Holden) 28 Laps
DNF: Phillip Scifleet / Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 16 Laps
DNF: Andrew Jones / John Cleland (Ford) 10 Laps
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
After 9 of 13 rounds
1: Marcos Ambrose 1487
2: Jason Bright 1464
3: Steven Richards 1397
4: Rick Kelly 1373
5: Russell Ingall 1347
6: Greg Murphy 1284
7: Todd Kelly 1163
8: Garth Tander 1155
9: John Bowe 1004
10: Jason Bargwanna 962
11: Paul Weel 881
12: Mark Skaife 863
13: Paul Morris 861
14: Cameron McConville 860
15: Paul Dumbrell 844
16: Steven Johnson 832
17: Tony Longhurst 826
18: Craig Baird 814
19: Brad Jones 789
20: Jason Richards 788
21: Glenn Seton 783
22: Mark Winterbottom 764
23: Paul Radisich 763
24: Warren Luff 736
25: Anthony Tratt 720
26: Craig Lowndes 637
27: Steve Ellery 590
28: David Besnard 560
29: Max Wilson 504
30: Simon Wills 499
31: Mark Noske 304
32: Dale Brede 292
33: Fabian Coulthard 214
34: Mark Porter 202
35: Greg Ritter 192
36: Cameron McLean 188
37: Garth Walden 181
38: Marcus Marshall 152
39: Matthew White 152
40: Thomas Mezera 148
41: Peter Brock 140
42: Jason Plato 140
43: Jim Richards 136
44: Charlie O'Brien 132
45: Alan Gurr 128
46: Adam Macrow 120
47: Alain Menu 120
48: Christian D'Agostin 116
49: Kurt Wimmer 116
50: John McIntyre 112 52: Luke Youlden 108
53: Grant Elliott 100
54: Neil McFadyen 90
|
|
