Bright, Bowe bank on new-car success
21/4/2001 15:20 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Shell Series leader Jason Bright has extra reason to feel confident ahead of next week’s Eastern Creek showdown, set to debut the latest in Holden Racing Team machinery.
Bright has tested the stiffer, more refined HRT VX Commodore, claiming the car is even better than the one that took him to victory at the Clipsal 500.
“The guys finished it off prior to Adelaide and I gave it a shakedown then as well, but Eastern Creek will be the first chance I've had to give it a 'proper' hit-out,” Bright explained.
"After my win in Adelaide, it's important now to consolidate my championship position. With Eastern Creek being similar to HRT's test track at Phillip Island, it shouldn't take me too long to come to grips with the Commodore which is going to be a key factor this weekend.”
Bright’s car has gone next door to the K-Mart Racing Team, where Greg Murphy will be given the keys.
Young Lion Paul Romano has received the Murphy hand-me-down (the oldest car in the TWR fleet), giving the Queenslander his first opportunity in a HRT-spec machine.
Romano had been driving a leased Rod Nash Racing Commodore.
John Bowe, too, will christen his new car next weekend, the product of months of off-season construction in the CAT Racing workshops.
It is the first AU Falcon to be built at John Briggs’ new Brisbane-based operation.
Meanwhile, David Besnard, Rodney Forbes, Cameron McLean, Paul Weel and Dean Canto will all fight to the death for a place on the Eastern Creek grid on Friday. 13 pre-qualifiers, those outside the top 25 on the points table, will battle for seven places.
The prospect doesn’t phase Weel.
"Do the math, seven into 13 doesn’t go. There will be six teams heading home on Friday night and I’m determined we won’t be one of them!"
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