Grand Prix momentum rolls into Adelaide for Tasman's Richards and Whincup
7/4/2005 15:51 (Press Release) -
After an impressive performance at the non-championship Australian Grand Prix meeting where it finished as the second-best Holden squad, Tasman Motorsport’s Dodo Racing drivers Jason Richards and Jamie Whincup are quietly confident they can translate their early season pace into this weekend’s opening V8 Supercar round at the Clipsal 500.
An off-season which included moving the team from Sydney to Melbourne, the construction of a new VZ Commodore, the signing of a new naming-rights backer in Dodo and the addition of former Formula Ford champion Whincup have made for hectic times, but on the eve of the 2005 championship, both drivers are happy with their preparation.
“The Grand Prix weekend gives is a good starting point to build upon,” said Whincup, who had two top-10 finishes at Albert Park.
“The team isn’t new and I’m not new but we’re a new package overall. We’ll learn even more at Adelaide and keep improving. Adelaide is a real challenge for a driver. You need to be as fast at the end of the race as at the start and that comes down to your fitness, an area I’ve worked hard on in the off-season.
“It’s a stop-go type of circuit. There’s no real chance to have a rest and no room for error. Jason and I worked together quite well at the Grand Prix and that was a key to our success there.”
Richards, who finished 14th in last year’s V8 Supercar Championship Series and best performed of the one-car teams, will be making his fifth start on the streets of Adelaide.
“We were fairly quick there last year in the older model VX. In the past we’ve been fast at circuits that are similar to Adelaide so I’m quietly confident Wally’s (Storey, engineer) setup will put us up in the mix.
“Any teething problems we had at the Grand Prix are fixed so there’s no reason for us not to be competitive.
“The Clipsal 500 event is challenging in a mental and physical sense for a driver. It’s almost a home event for me because I spent a year living in Adelaide in 2003 and the place has a great vibe to it.”
The team will carry one of Network Ten’s on-board cameras for the first time this weekend, though just which car it rides in is yet to be determined.
“Carrying an on-board camera this weekend is something that really has only come about thanks to the involvement of Dodo in the Tasman Motorsport team for 2005,” said team principal Kevin Murphy.
The Dodo Racing Commodores will hit the track for the first time for practice at 9.45am on Friday with another practice session, qualifying and the Top 10 Shootout following to complete a busy day. One 250-kilometre event will be held on Saturday with a second to complete the weekend on Sunday.
Network Ten will telecast all of the action in Australia on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. TV NZ will carry the action in New Zealand.
Release Date: 15/03/2005
Tasman Motorsport
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