Wills keeps car straight on tough day
13/4/2005 17:35 (Press Release) -
Team Dynamik’s Simon Wills kept his cool in in tough conditions to bring home an undamaged Boomerang Phonecard car #44 in today’s Race 1 of Adelaide’s Clipsal 500, the opening round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Wills came close to rejoining the lead lap but the pit stop cards fell the wrong way mid-race and he concentrated on clocking up valuable race miles, lapping in the mid 1.25s around the testing street circuit.
He was running smoothly until lap 59 when the engine in #44 began cutting out and he was called into the pits.
The crew frantically attempted to track down the problem but after another attempted lap, Wills had to finally withdraw with electrical issues three frustrating laps short of being classified as a finisher.
Marcos Ambrose streeted away with today’s race, tailed by teammate Russell Ingall and 888’s Craig Lowndes in third.
Numerous safety cars early in today’s race created havoc for pre-planned strategies, with some teams profiting handsomely from early pit stops.
Team Dynamik’s stay-out strategy for Wills was a gamble but one worth taking in the circumstances, with #44 having to start a lap down.
Wills was satisfied with the car’s performance: “Pace-wise we were pretty happy,” he said.
“I was just four cars away from getting back on the lead lap but then we had some electrical issues, and we had to call it quits,” he said.
“But the car is still straight and I won’t have to do too much signwriting tonight,” mused Wills, who designs and applies the car’s livery.
“The cards didn’t quite fall our way with the strategy but tomorrow is another day and I’m sure we’ll run strongly again.”
Tomorrow’s 78-lap 250km race starts at 1400 CDT.
Release Date: 19/03/2005
Team Dynamik
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