AMBROSE AND MURPHY LOCK HORNS AT GILLETTE V8 SUPERCAR CHALLENGE
8/11/2004 18:41 (Press Release) -
Fresh from his Bathurst crowning, 2004 ‘King of the Mountain’ Greg Murphy flew into Brisbane today to join Marcos Ambrose in launching the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast from October 21 to 24.
Holden’s Murphy (Kmart Racing) claimed back-to-back victories in the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Mt Panorama in Bathurst on Sunday, and now has his sights firmly set on next week’s Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge and valuable championship points.
Murphy was joined by reigning V8 Supercar Champion and point’s leader Ford’s Marcos Ambrose (Pirtek Racing) in the Queen Street Mall today to launch the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge.
Murphy’s fourth Bathurst title was hard fought and while he currently lies in sixth place on the championship ladder, the victory breathed new life into his championship hopes, catapulting him to within 191 points and striking distance of Ambrose.
The Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge is round 11 of the 13-round V8 Supercar Championship Series and will feature a 100km race on the Saturday and a 150km race on the Sunday around the 4.47km Surfer Paradise street circuit.
Murphy knows better than most the fastest way through the concrete jungle, his lightening pole lap of 2002 still standing as the fastest ever qualifying time in a V8 Supercar on the Gold Coast.
Fresh from his Bathurst glory the 32-year-old will be keen to emulate his 1997 victory when the race was a non-championship round and improve on his results of recent years after claiming the runner-up position behind local hero Russell Ingall (Caltex Havoline Racing) in 2003, a step up on his third placing from the previous year.
“I always look forward to racing on the Gold Coast,” said Murphy. “We always have a fast car around this tight circuit, and it’s about time we had another win there.
“A third two years ago, second last year … we need to continue that trend up the podium. We are riding high after our Bathurst win, and hope that we can continue the momentum in the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge.”
But the Holden hero will have to fend off a strong challenge from local Ford teams keen to claim home town bragging rights.
The charge will be led by reigning V8 Supercar Champion Ambrose and teammate Ingall. Hot on their heels will be Holden drivers Jason Bright (PWR), who lies just 55 points shy of Ambrose in second place, and Murphy’s teammate Rick Kelly who lurks in third by 47 points.
As the business end of the season approaches Ambrose will be intent on scoring maximum points to place a buffer between himself and the rest of the field leading into next month’s penultimate round in Tasmania.
“I have never won at the Lexmark Indy 300, and it is a real goal of mine to win that surfboard trophy in front of a home crowd,” said Ambrose.
“The Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge is a tough round, and you really have to be up the front from the word go to be a threat. This is a key round in terms of championship points, and we will be doing our utmost to build our series lead.”
Race one of the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge will be on Saturday October 23 with race two on Sunday October 24, both races featuring compulsory pit stops. The V8 Supercars will hit the track on Friday for practice and qualifying before the top ten line up for the all important shootout prior to Saturday’s first race.
2004 will be the third successive year that the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge has been an official round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Tickets for the Lexmark Indy 300 are available through Ticketek on www.ticketek.com.au or phone 1300 303 103.
2004 V8 SUPERCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (AFTER 10 OF 13 ROUNDS)
1. Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 1667
2. Jason Bright (Holden) 1612
3. Rick Kelly (Holden) 1565
4. Russell Ingall (Ford) 1519
5. Steven Richards (Holden) 1509
6. Greg Murphy (Holden) 1476
7. Todd Kelly (Holden) 1303
8. John Bowe (Ford) 1188
9. Garth Tander (Holden) 1155
10. Jason Bargwanna (Ford) 1138
PREVIOUS GOLD COAST WINNERS
(2002 & 2003 Official Rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series)
1994: John Bowe
1996: John Bowe
1997: Greg Murphy
1998: Mark Larkham
1999: Paul Radisich
2000: Paul Radisich
2001: Garth Tander
2002: Jason Bargwanna
2003: Russell Ingall
TRACK RECORDS
Pole Lap – Greg Murphy (2002) – 1:50.7030
Race Lap – Marcos Ambrose (2002) – 1: 51.6490
Outright Lap (Champ Car) – Cristiano da Matta (1999) – 1:30.204
END OF RELEASE
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For further information contact:
Stephen Lock – BAM Media, Ph. 07 5588 6855, Mob. 0408 124 694
Media Manager – Lexmark Indy 300
Brett Murray – BAM Media, Mob. 0418 760 066
Communications Manager – Lexmark Indy 300
For interviews with any of the V8 Supercar drivers in the lead up and during the Lexmark Indy 300, please contact the PR Manager for their respective team. Here are the contacts:
1 - Marcos Ambrose (Pirtek Racing) - Brett Murray 0418760066
2 - Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team) - Tim Pemberton 0407323403
3 - Jason Richards (Tasman Motorsport) - Steve Colquhoun 0417360945
5 - Glenn Seton (Ford Performance Racing) - Paul Marinelli 0407323403
6 – Craig Lowndes (Ford Performance Racing) - Paul Marinelli 0417558655
7 – Tony Longhurst (Castrol Perkins Motorsport) - Sue Dilger 0419023945
8 – Paul Dumbrell (Castrol Perkins Motorsport) - Sue Dilger 0419023945
9 - Russell Ingall (Caltex Havoline Racing) - Brett Murray 0418760066
10 - Jason Bargwanna (Orrcon Steel Racing) - Lee Hanatschek 0403531914
11 – Steven Richards (Castrol Perkins Racing Team) - Sue Dilger 0419023945
12 – John Bowe (OzEmail Racing) - Dale Brittain 0418697784
15 - Rick Kelly (Kmart Racing Team) - Aaron Noonan 0438316148
16 – Paul Weel (PWR Performance Products) - Steve Colquhoun 0417360945
17 - Steven Johnson (Shell Helix Racing) - Tony Mee 0438571771
18 – Warren Luff (Shell Helix Racing) - Tony Mee 0438571771
20 – Mark Winterbottom (Orrcon Steel Racing) - Lee Hanatschek 0403531914
21 – Brad Jones (OzEmail Racing) - Dale Brittain 0418697784
021 - Craig Baird (Team Kiwi Racing) - David John 00116496364050
22 – Todd Kelly (Holden Racing Team) - Tim Pemberton 0407323403
23 – Neil MacFadyen (Wright Patton Skakespeare) - John Mossop 0412818368
29 – Paul Morris (Sirromet - Life/Style/Wine) - Mike Porter 0417311997
31 – Steve Ellery (Super Cheap Auto Racing) - Belinda Kemp 0438315221
33 – Cameron McConville (Repco Valvoline Cummins Team) Garry Rogers 03 95604711
34 - Garth Tander (Repco Valvoline Cummins Team) Garry Rogers 03 95604711
44 – Simon Wills (Team Dynamik) - Mark Wild 0414448877
45 - Dale Brede (Team Dynamik) - Mark Wild 0414448877
48 - Alex Yoong (Wright Patton Shakespeare) - John Mossop 0412818368
50 - Jason Bright (PWR Performance Products) - Steve Colquhoun 0417360945
51 – Greg Murphy (Kmart Racing Team) - Aaron Noonan 0438316148
75 - Anthony Tratt (Toll Racing) - Sue Dilger 0419023945
88 – Paul Radisich (Team Betta Electrical) - Colin Speairs 0412754434
888 – Max Wilson (Team Betta Electrical) - Colin Speairs 0412754434
Release Date: 14/10/2004
Lexmark Indy 300
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