V81000 PRAC - Practice? Someone forgot to tell Skaife
4/10/2001 18:03 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Relatively clear skies, a newly-resurfaced circuit and a finely-tuned factory Commodore gave every indication today that this year’s Mt. Panorama classic could be the fastest ever.
The 2001 V8 Supercar 1000 was just hours old when Mark Skaife stamped his indelible mark on proceedings with a blistering lap in this afternoon’s opening free practice.
He let loose late in the interrupted 90-minute session to record a 2:10.30min flier, the fastest Thursday time ever at Bathurst and just eight-tenths outside Mark Larkham’s qualifying record.
Skaife is sharing his Holden Racing Team Commodore with Tony Longhurst this weekend.
"It's early days yet, but this is a good way for us to start," Skaife said.
The celebrated 6.2km road course was completely resurfaced before this year’s event, lowering times significantly. And, with favourable weather, they can only get faster.
"It all depends on how the track changes as more rubber gets put down on it,” Skaife said. “If the surface stays the same we will go a little faster tomorrow, but if the grip level gets better, we will find even more time.”
Glenn Seton, who today baptised the brand-new Ford Tickford Racing Falcon he’ll share with two-time Bathurst winner Steven Richards, was second quickest this afternoon, chasing an elusive Bathurst crown.
"We are here with a new car that we have very high expectations for after testing, but I am a realist and I know it's the little things that can bring you undone,” Seton said.
“With Steven, we have a driver who has winning experience here and we will drive the ring off the car and hope we are there at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon."
John Bowe, who traded hot-laps with his co-driver, Konica Series champ Simon Wills, was an impressive third fastest, ahead of the Castrol Commodore of Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall and K-Mart Holden of Greg Murphy and Todd Kelly.
The Shell Helix Falcon of Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson, who have firmed into outright favouritism ahead of Sunday’s 161-lap race, are an ominous presence in sixth.
"I think we deserve to be considered favourites,” Radisich said.
“We’ve won two of the three long distance races already this season, and we’ve been the pace-setters here the last two years. It’s fair to say we probably should have won the race the last two years but I think this (year) is our best chance yet to do it."
The No. 18 DJR Falcon, shared between Cameron McLean and Greg Ritter, also pushed into the top ten.
Craig Lowndes was 17th fastest today, debuting Gibson Motorsport’s long-awaited mean machine.
"Our times are only going to improve as the weekend progresses, so I’d say we’re in pretty good shape," Lowndes, partnering Neil Crompton in Sunday’s marathon, said.
Bud Racing, also debuting their new AU Falcon, was 16th quickest at the hands of Mark Noske and Craig Baird.
Paul Morris and Big Kev were less than excited when last-minute recruit Ashley Stichbury kissed the concrete atop the mountain. The car sustained front and rear damage but is expected to be repaired by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Wayne Wakefield is an emphatic favourite for Saturday’s 30-lap Konica V8 Supercar Challenge after this morning’s practice session.
Wakefield was more than 1.3sec quicker than his nearest rival, Matthew White.
Both drivers are campaigning aging VS Commodores in Saturday’s race, and both will line-up for Stone Brothers Racing in Falcons in Sunday’s main event.
Rod Salmon’s Ford was third quickest, ahead of Michael Simpson. Ashley Stichbury faired better in Paul Morris’ VS Commodore, setting the fourth-quickest time in the Konica session.
More practice for the V8 Supercar 1000 is scheduled for tomorrow morning ahead of the afternoon’s provisional qualifying session. The top fifteen will have a shootout for pole on Saturday morning.
>> V8 SUPERCAR 1000 PRACTICE - TOP TEN >>**
1st SKAIFE/LONGHURST (Holden Racing Team) - VX Commodore [2:10.3067min]
2nd SETON/RICHARDS (Ford Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [2:11.1819]
3rd BOWE/WILLS (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon [2:11.4916]
4th PERKINS/INGALL (Perkins Motorsport) - VX Commodore [2:11.8208]
5th KELLY/MURPHY (K-Mart Racing Team) - VX Commodore [2:12.1918]
6th JOHNSON/RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [2:12.1969]
7th TANDER/BARGWANNA (Valvoline Cummins Repco Team) - VX Commodore [2:12.2960]
8th McLEAN/RITTER (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [2:12.7282]
9th AMBROSE/WAKEFIELD (Pirtek Racing) - AU Falcon [2:12.7756]
10th BRIGHT/MEZERA (Holden Racing Team) - VX Commodore [2:12.8164]
For complete practice results:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?07/10/2001.MOUN
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