HRT take each-way bet on Bathurst
28/9/2001 11:56 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Shell Series leaders Mark Skaife and Jason Bright will resume their title tussle at Mt. Panorama after the Holden Racing Team elected to put their star drivers in separate cars.
Announced this morning, Mark Skaife will share the No. 1 HRT Commodore with Tony Longhurst at Bathurst, while Jason Bright will be teamed with Tomas Mezera.
HRT Manager Jeff Grech said the team wasn’t prepared to risk the championship for the sake of a Bathurst crown.
"A lot of thought went into this,” he said.
"You can put your two lead drivers together and if they have a successful day at the Mountain then that's fine. However if anything should go wrong – and let's face it, there are plenty of opportunities for that at Bathurst – then the two drivers who are leading the championship could find themselves back down the order.
"The other point too is that with both Mark and Jason heading the points, if they drive together one can't necessarily improve his position over the other.”
Grech said he was confident in the ability of veterans Longhurst and Mezera after their strong showing together at the Queensland 500.
"Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera were hired with exactly this scenario in mind; if HRT went to Bathurst with Skaife and Bright in a championship-winning position, we had to have two co-drivers who had the ability and experience to compliment Mark and Jason.
“With Tomas and Tony, we have that talent. Being able to split Jason and Mark, is a bit like having two tickets in the lottery, rather than one.”
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