R11 PRAC - Veteran and rookie top times in practice
8/9/2000 20:44 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - An out-of-form veteran and a 23-year-old rookie topped the time sheets in practice today for Sunday’s OzEmail 500 at Queensland Raceway.
The new-look Stone Brothers pairing of Tony Longhurst and David Besnard put their Caltex Havoline Falcon on provisional pole after today’s two 60-minute practice sessions.
Local track knowledge, and surprisingly a Falcon, where the key ingredients for quick times on the opening day of proceedings.
The small Queensland-based Super Cheap Auto team – with Steven Ellery and Paul Stokell at the helm – sprung a surprise with a time just a tenth slower than the SBR pair.
Driving for local teams, Paul Radisich and Cameron McLean, Craig Baird and Simon Wills, Mark Larkham and Geoff Brabham, and John Bowe and Jim Richards, all set times that put them in the top ten fastest.
Longhurst put the form reversal down to the TEGA-implemented common undertray, that is having a significant effect at the quick 3.1km Queensland Raceway layout.
"The new front undertray has given us two tenths around this track and the car is just beautiful to drive, as expected," Longhurst said. "It just goes to show how the Ford teams have been shafted with an inferior tray for the last 18 months."
In his first ever Shell Series outing, (he competed in the final two rounds of the V8 Lites Championship) it was David Besnard’s time of 1:11.33 minutes that put the Falcon he will share with Longhurst in top spot.
"I wouldn't be game to say that V8 racing is easy but it is a pleasure to be able to step into such a great car that drives so well,” Besnard, who recently signed long-term at SBR, said.
“The Stone Brothers put together a great package and it has been good straight out of the trailer," he said.
Both Steven Ellery and co-driver, Nation’s Cup racer Paul Stokell, were surprised to be so far up the order in practice.
"I am a little shocked,” Ellery said. “We weren't chasing times today, just working on set-ups, so I had to look twice when I saw the times."
Stokell was the same. "I wish the Lambo (his Nation’s Cup mount) handled as well as the Ford. These cars are so responsive to little changes that it is a pleasure to race them."
Holden’s best performers were from the Valvoline-Cummins operation, but not Shell Series stars Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna. Instead it was Tim Leahey and Greg Ritter setting the team’s best times.
Team leader Garry Rogers was using his “second” car to experiment with tyres, and warned both open-wheeler aces not to get too excited.
"With the fresh tyres, they probably got about half a second over the rest so I wouldn’t read too much into the third placing. I just wanted one of the cars to post a fast time and it worked," Rogers said.
"It would be nice if we could get both our cars in the top ten tomorrow, but our focus is on the four hours of racing on Sunday and lots of things can happen then," he said.
The most talked about men in the paddock – Shell Series leader Mark Skaife and rumoured Ford defect Craig Lowndes – practiced well and finished fifth fastest.
Sentimental favourite Dick Johnson – returning to the sport after a year’s hiatus to partner son Steven in the 161-lap marathon – was lapping comfortably in the top fifteen.
The V8 Supercars will qualify in predicted hot and blustery conditions tomorrow morning before the top fifteen compete for poll in a one-lap shootout in the afternoon.
**COMBINED PRACTICE TIMES**
1st LONGHURST/BESNARD (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.339min]
2nd ELLERY/STOKELL (Super Cheap Auto Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.422]
3rd RITTER/LEAHEY (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [1:11.425]
4th RADISICH/McLEAN (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.440]
5th LOWNDES/SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [1:11.497]
6th MURPHY/RICHARDS (K-Mart Racing) - VT Commodore [1:11.543]
7th BAIRD/WILLS (Pirtek Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.571]
8th MORRIS/SCHWANTZ (Big Kev Racing) - VS Commodore [1:11.584]
9th LARKHAM/BRABHAM (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.795]
10th BOWE/RICHARDS (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon [1:11.837]
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