Dodo surfs from wave into fifth
9/11/2004 19:15 (Press Release) -
Team Dynamik caught a wave of late season form with a strong fifth placing for the Dodo car #44 at this weekend’s Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge at the Gold Coast Indy. Driver Simon Wills qualified in 12th spot but had lifted the Dodo VY Commodore into 5th place after Round 11’s second race today around the demanding 4.5km circuit through the streets of Surfers Paradise.
It is the South Australian team’s best-ever round result and points to a resurgence for the final two rounds of 2004.
Dale Brede, driving the Dodo car #45 in his first Surfers Paradise round, lapped consistently to finish in 25th position today.
Holden’s Greg Murphy won the race and the round, from Ford’s Marcos Ambrose and Holden’s Todd Kelly. Jason Bargwanna and Wills were snapping at this trio’s heels all race.
Wills had a great battle with Bargwanna today, overtaking the Ford from the line but yielding mid race. But the Dodo #44 had the pace to stay in touch, and after a late safety car, pressured Bargwanna for fourth position over the final few laps.
Wills was in the hot seat in more ways than one in today’s final 30-lapper, with his seat shifting considerably every time he cornered the Dodo VY Commodore.
“The seat broke on the warm-up lap so it took a bit of getting used to. You get a lot of your driving feel through the seat so it made it hard when it was moving around so much,” he said.
“I beat Bargwanna off the line but then he got ahead again. Once I got used to the seat moving around I put some pressure on him, and with the late safety car, I might have been a chance to pass but ran out of laps,” he said.
Wills’ best 2004 round points haul lifts him to 808 points, provisionally now in 27th position in the Series. Brede lies 34th.
“Today’s result was a good reward for all the hard work of the Team,” said Wills. The Dodo #44 narrowly made Friday’s qualifying session after a bad crash in Practice Session 2, with the crew working feverishly to ready the Holden.
The Dodo #44 showed top ten pace all weekend and Wills was confident of surfing this form wave into Round 12 at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains from 12-14 November.
“I’ve never even been to Tasmania, let alone raced at Symmons Plains, but most other teams will be in the same space,” he said.
Release Date: 24/10/2004
Team Dynamik
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