Determination pays off for Team Betta Electrical
13/4/2005 18:28 (Press Release) -
Craig Lowndes displayed once again that he is possibly the most focused and determined driver in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship. In what seemed like a devastating setback early in the second leg of the Clipsal 500, Craig kept up his assault on the field to finish second.
Moments into the first lap of race 2, Craig was spun around by another car at turn 1, setting him back to 32nd position, having started 3rd on the grid.
“No, it wasn’t the best of starts,” commented Craig after the race. “I had contact with the wall, which turned me around and I ended up last. After this the team changed their strategy and we fought our way back to the front by staying out for a late fuel stop.”
The team at Triple Eight made minor adjustments to Car 888 overnight to accommodate their strategy of biasing the car towards the front tyres. This allowed the front tyres to run longer and for a faster pit stop when only the rear tyres needed to be changed. While the incident on the first lap saw the race strategy change somewhat, the car was perfectly set up to achieve a faster exit from the pits for each of the compulsory stops.
“The Adelaide circuit can be a difficult track to pass on and Craig was obviously under some pressure at the end to keep ahead of Skaife. It only proves what an amazingly determined and persistent driver Craig is that he kept the pressure on to remain in front,” said Triple Eight’s team principal, Roland Dane. “A podium finish for the Weekend overall is just deserts for the enormous efforts the whole team have put in during the last year, and hopefully sets us up for a great season.”
“It’s great to be in such a competitive car,” said Craig. “And I couldn’t be happier finishing today’s race and also the first round of the Championship in second place. It’s a well-earned result for Team Betta Electrical.”
Championship Points
1. Pirtek Racing (Ambrose) 192
2. Team Betta Electrical (Lowndes) 183
3. Holden Racing Team (Kelly) 162
Super Cheap Auto Racing (Weel) 141
5. Westpoint Racing (s. Johnson) 141
Release Date: 20/03/2005
Team Betta Electrical - Triple 8
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