AVESCO: Winterbottom looking to extend series lead
30/8/2003 22:09 (Press Release) -
Stone Brothers Racing’s Mark Winterbottom has qualified fastest for tomorrow’s first race at the sixth and final round of the Konica V8 Supercar Series held at Mallala Motorsport Park this weekend, ahead of Brad Jones Racing’s Andrew Jones and Gulf Western Oil’s Matthew White.
Winterbottom has already secured the championship at the last Konica V8 Supercar round at Winton Motor Raceway at the start of August, but will be looking to extend the final championship points standing’s with the help of pole position in the first of three races tomorrow morning.
Winterbottom clocked up the fastest lap time of the day with one-minute 8.40secs, just edging out Jones with a lap time of one-minute 8.42secs.
Jones continued his fine form that saw him take his first round win for 2003 at the last Konica V8 Supercar Series round at Winton, finishing the first practice session with the fastest lap time of one-minute 10.34secs ahead of Winterbottom and White.
“We have showed we have what it takes to win with the last round win at Winton,” Jones said. “We will definitely get in there and have a go tomorrow. Mark has shown from the past that he has got the points from pole, but hopefully with the confidence we have from the last round we will be up there at the end.”
With second position overall for the 2003 championship all but confirmed for White, the Gulf Western Oil team will be looking to gain as much test time as possible before the upcoming V8 Supercar endurance races at the Betta Electrical 500 Sandown and the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst.
“This weekend will be testing for us,” White said. “We will be going into all three races tomorrow trying to get the car as best as it possibly can be.
“It doesn’t look like anyone else can get close to us on the points table at this stage, which makes the weekend a lot easier for us in terms of pressure.”
The battle continues for third spot overall, with Super Cheap Auto Racing’s Luke Youlden, Smiths Truck’s Owen Kelly and Hydraulink Racing’s Mark Porter all in contention to take points in race one after all qualifying in the top ten this afternoon.
--AVESCO press release
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