R13S PREV - Sandown's battle of the bridesmaids
29/11/2001 23:25 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
It’s said nobody ever remembers who finishes second. But three drivers will vie for that not-so-prestigious honour at the final round of the Shell Championship Series this weekend, the V8 Ultimate at Melbourne’s Sandown Park Raceway.
With the title already in the bag for the incomparable Mark Skaife, his championship combatants Russell Ingall, Jason Bright and Greg Murphy will scrap for the Shell Series crumbs.
Ingall is a most frustrated bridesmaid, having finished second in the championship on two previous occasions. And while the Castrol charger is keen to secure the vice-championship, he laments what could have been.
"I might have to get myself fitted out for a bridesmaid's gown soon," ‘the Enforcer’ joked.
"It should be pretty willing racing this weekend. There will be a lot of guys out there keen to finish off the year with a good result and the first corner at Sandown can claim a few victims, especially if everyone is desperate to get through there in front of all the other cars. The fans will be entertained, that's for sure."
Jason Bright has been a reluctant sidekick to his teammate, Skaife, this season, but after a doomed Bathurst run put him out of the championship chase, he’ll be more than happy to finish as runner-up on Sunday night.
Bright sits in third on the Shell Series standings, 85 points behind Ingall. 288 points are on offer this weekend.
“It's a shame that one event (Bathurst) is so points-rich that it can have that effect but that's behind us now so we'll be working hard to get past Russell and try and achieve the 1-2 finish for the team.
“It's the one record HRT hasn't gained, and hasn't been done by any team since 1993.”
He’ll get help in that quest from Skaife who, while enjoying his high-speed Sandown victory parade, promises to assist Bright in snaring second spot on the ladder.
K-Mart Racing’s Greg Murphy is still on a long, white Cloud Nine after his inspired Pukekohe performance, taking a clean-sweep in front of his home crowd. The V8 International trophy elevated him to fourth in the championship, with the possibility of climbing even higher at Sandown.
"I was really surprised at the speed advantage my car had in New Zealand,” Murphy said. “I can't really explain why we had it but I would like it the same this weekend."
While some drivers are looking to consolidate their championship position, others are looking for some consolation after a trying season. The Ford brigade, especially, will look to make an impression at the final round after an under-achieving year for some of its stars.
Steven Johnson is the best-placed Ford driver in fifth, and could leapfrog some of the leading Commodore campaigners at a track traditionally favouring his Shell Helix Falcon.
With the championship decided, much of the gloss has been taken off this inaugural Grand Final spectacular at Sandown. But the challenging layout, one of the finest racing facilities in the country, and three 150km races should prove a fitting finale to the 2001 season.
Qualifying begins tomorrow, but not before a cutthroat cull of the field tomorrow morning due to the oversubscribed grid.
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