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Drivers' Quoteboard: Race 25

25 Aug 2013
Here's what some of the field had to say after yesterday's 60/60 Super Sprint Race 25.
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James Moffat, Norton Hornets, p1:

“I’ve worked hard to get to this point in my career and to breakthrough for my first win means a lot.

“What a great day for everyone at Nissan Motorsport, Norton and Toshiba. It’s all a bit of a dream at the moment.

“I really tried to come into this event without many expectations. Naturally, if we were going to go well at any circuit, this was the one. It’s our test track, and I was very happy with the way we ended our test day, but I wasn’t getting carried away, because we know how finicky this track can be.

“I wasn’t prepared to get too far ahead of myself, and even when we were quickest yesterday, I was keeping a lid on it.

“This result speaks for itself. We’re one-two in both races. Sure, Jamie (Whincup) had a bit of bad luck, but both of us proved we had great pace.”

Michael Caruso, Norton Hornets, p2:

“This is brilliant for our whole team. The Norton cars finishing one-two, it’s fantastic.

“We knew we’d come into this event looking better than we have in the previous rounds. We’re all wise enough to know that this circuit has no advantage for the cars with big horsepower. The Nissans have been handling really well and we’ve shown that throughout the year.

“It’s a credit to everyone at the team, and our engineering guys are working hard and it’s paying off.”

**Jason Bright, Team BOC, p3:**

"I used a lot of tyre to get past Shane (van Gisbergen) but I had to do it then because it's a lot harder the longer you leave it at this track. It just chews up rubber.

"It was one of the only passing moves all race from what I saw and it was a pivotal move because it basically meant we were on the right hand row going into the double file restart, which got me two spots.

"I thought I'd be able to challenge the Nissans but the two yellow ones had a different grade fuel to use this weekend to help their fuel economy. We don't know what it means power-wise but I suspect they didn't have to push as hard as we did today to do the same speed. That would definitely give them better tyre life. The cars are obviously working well though so they don't need much of a hand for Bathurst as far as I'm concerned.

"I qualified seventh, made two good starts, had good race pace compared to everyone except the two Nissans; it all bodes well for tomorrow and for our championship."

Mark Winterbottom, Pepsi Max Crew FPR, p4:

“We made a change for the second half which detuned the car unfortunately but the points haul we gained today was important. On days like today where you are not the quickest you just have to survive and fourth place was our best. I am a bit frustrated with the restart as we lost ground but that always happens if you are on the outside. Fourth is okay and we held off (James) Courtney who I thought was quicker than me so I can take some positives from today.”

James Courtney, Holden Racing Team, p5: 

“The car was pretty good in the race today but we can certainly improve.

“We’ll look at the data tonight and make some changes ahead of the two qualifying runs and longer races tomorrow morning.

“I’d love to have a crack at a podium finish!”

Will Davison, Pepsi Max Crew FPR, p6:

“I consolidated well today from an unfortunate qualifying spot though I wasn’t overly happy with the grip level I had on my second set of tyres. We then ran those in the first part of the race so we could put our best set on which after some chassis tweaks made the car feel really good. I eventually got past (Shane) van Gisbergen, which wasn’t easy as it is hard to pass here so it took time to do it cleanly. Once I got that done we trucked on really well and the car felt nice. If we qualify well tomorrow we can mix it with the leaders.”

**Fabian Coulthard, Lockwood Racing, p7:**

"It's been the story of our year: trying to get the car off the line. That's where all my positions were lost today. Once I caught people I'd got the car speed to pass them but it's just so difficult around here.

"I think we got phasing a little bit wrong for qualifying and the red flags didn't help. We had to do more than just a warming lap to do a time so you're chewing up tyre life the more laps you have to do, and red flags mean you have to do more laps. I'm sure others were in the same boat though and fourth is not bad."

Garth Tander, Holden Racing Team, p8: 

“Qualifying this morning did not go to plan – our speed on the first set of tyres was quite good but we could not get improved performance from the second set of tyres and ended up 16th.

“The car was quite good in the race and we managed to move up to eighth at the finish. 

“We’re looking for a much better qualifying result tomorrow which should put us in a position to deliver an improved race result.”

Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, p9:

“Overall, it was a good result and the battle in the second half was actually fun.

“I was trying to get past Garth and he was driving defensively; I was probably a bit faster than him but he helped me overtake a couple of other people.

“The car was definitely fast; here at Winton it can be hard to show the true pace when you’re caught in traffic so if we can qualify further up tomorrow, there’s a good chance we can get an even better result.” 

David Reynolds, The Bottle-O Racing, p10:

“In the first 60 component I basically did parade laps as nothing really happened. In the next half I got a bad start and hung out to dry on the wrong side. It cost me three spots and I was bashed from pillar to post. It then took be 10 laps to get back where I needed to be so I could pass some cars. I got a couple back but we just weren’t fast enough today so we need to find some speed but I also need to qualify better. If we start higher up we will have a better race.”

Tony D’Alberto, Team HIFLEX, p11:

“Car felt good all day. Was good to finally get some dry track so we can actually see where we sit compared to the others.

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“The race was very good for us. We jumped up four or five spots and were into the top 10 midway through the second half and were looking really strong; until I was involved in some contact with a few other guys and we ended up losing a few spots but still finished up a strong 11.

“We’ll be back tomorrow knowing we have a very strong car this weekend that is treating tyres really well.”

Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, p13: 

"I didn't get the most out of it in qualifying only by three tenths and it was enough to put us from the front of the grid to absolutely mid-pack and from there it was tough for us to move anywhere.

"We're still losing one or two car lengths up the chute, so even if we are quick it's so hard to pass anyone under brakes. We got stuck there and we only have ourselves to blame for not getting the most out of the #15 car in qualifying.

"We'll fix that tomorrow, there's still two races to go and hopefully we can share in some of the achievements that the Norton guys have had."

Alex Davison, Team JELD-WEN, p14:

“I am dirty with myself as I was fighting to get ahead of Tony D’Alberto in the first half and I locked an inside-front wheel and ran right to the outside of the track where all the muck and mud was and that put us back a few spots for the restart. It is almost impossible to overtake here so despite the Team JELD-WEN Ford being genuinely quick we couldn’t show it. We have to qualify further up tomorrow and get amongst it a little bit more.”

Chaz Mostert, Wilson Security Dick Johnson Racing, p16:

“Winton is always a hard place to pass, and with qualifying not going our way it made it very hard. The difference in the track from Friday with a wet track and today to dry track with rubber down seemed to have the car balance go away a little bit from us. You can really only get a good pass on someone if your car is a lot better during these short races. Tomorrow the races are longer and the Dunlop Softs are going to cop it, so we will see where we end up. We’ll put our heads down tonight and have a real crack tomorrow.”

Alex Premat, Fujitsu Racing GRM, p17:

“Day two – I don’t think it’s the day we were looking for. Qualifying I had been 12th but ended 21, couldn’t go quicker because the car was quite hard to drive. Turning the car was amazing but mid-exit the car was too pushy and that was costing so much time into the corners, we were four tenths off. But that is V8 Supercars qualifying, that’s why we were p21. 

“Then first part of Race 25 finished p20, so I gained one spot. The second half of the race was a pretty good restart and I got five spots. After that the car was pretty good – better than the first half. It’s been a really tough day because it was really hard to drive, but p17 is not bad. I gained four spots from qualifying which was quite good. “Looking forward to tomorrow and better setting up the car – top 12 would be amazing. In the race it’s a good car but missing a bit of speed into qualifying.” 

Scott McLaughlin, Fujitsu Racing GRM, p19:

“Day two at Winton – unfortunately we didn’t qualify the best. We thought we were on for a good lap and I sort of stuffed up and the car wasn’t the best and ended up 23rd, our worst for the year, which sucked. But heading into the 60/60 I made an awesome start off the standing start and I got a few positions. And then I got shoved off the track on the first corner and went back where I started, and never went further. It’s quite a hard place to pass so I had to just settle with what I had. 

“Started 23rd in the next half of the 60/60 and were pretty good. Just got through the first couple of laps – it was pretty crazy out there – and got a few and from 23rd or 24th got to 19th and past Jonathon Webb who we were battling with for tenth in the Championship, so for a bad qualifying and where we were at the start of the day was really happy. And congratulations to James Moffat – it was awesome to see him win – and Nissan Motorsport.” 

Craig Lowndes, Red Bull Racing Australia, p21: 

“Look, I got hung out to dry on the re-start but the biggest issue was grip. 

“It was like an ice-skating rink and I just didn’t have confidence in the rear or front end to attack. We’ll get back into it overnight and be back better tomorrow.”

Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, p24: 

“We've been a little bit behind it all day today, we didn't have the car anywhere near close enough at the end of the practice session and went into qualifying with a few changes, and then into the race with even bigger changes, and then more changes between the first and second half of the race.

"It's not a bad day for the team, we've got two cars that are extremely good, so we're in the position now where we will probably just throw one of those set-ups in our car and learn how to drive it, because they're certainly quick."

Tim Blanchard, Wilson Security DJR, p27:

“We qualified better here than the last few rounds and could run comfortably in the top 20 so it proves the further up the field we qualify the better we can run in the race. Our race pace once again was pretty good relative to the guys around us. We got a bit caught on the rolling restart and got boxed in with nowhere to go which cost us. Later in the second leg I had Webby into me at turn nine and he turned me around so that really ended the race. The first leg Chaz and I ran pretty close for most of the race so overall I feel we are on the improve.”

Jamie Whincup, Red Bull Racing Australia, DNF: 

“There was a big explosion in the car inside coming out of the last corner and it just had no drive. There was no indication whatsoever everything was sailing smoothly. We got a good start and were leading the race. It was awesome to be on pole and it turned into nothing unfortunately.

“We got the car back in as quick as we could but the bad news is you have to finish 75 percent of the race and we missed it by one lap. So there was no point in us getting back out – which is extremely disappointing. I wanted to get out there and put on a show so to speak and be out there racing, but if the rules are that way that there is no point us being out there. In the interest of the category I don’t think that’s a good thing – me sitting in the garage doing nothing. 

“If there’s no reward there’s no point us getting the car out and burning through tyres.”

From the teams 

Todd Kelly, Nissan Motorsport – on the team’s first race win:

"It doesn't get much better than that, for a team that's only eight months old to have had its first win and a one-two at the same time, it doesn't get much better than that at all.

“Well done to the boys. We always knew if we were going to have a chance it would be here, so hopefully we can get a few more of us up there tomorrow and try and get a bit of momentum out of this for the rest of the year."

Rick Kelly, Nissan Motorsport – on the team’s first win: 

"It's a little bit of a dream come true, we'd love for the JD cars to be up there, but for those guys to achieve that when we still are a bit slow in a straight line is absolutely incredible.

“We knew coming into this weekend it was about qualifying and those two guys nailed that part of it and were able to do consistent laps in the race and get the reward for doing that.

"Huge congratulations to the whole team, the last 18 months for us have been extremely tough, the guys with their families and everything with the workload has been tough on everyone, so congratulations to everyone in the team and thanks for the effort, because today it paid off."

Tim Edwards – FPR Team Principal: 

“We did what we could today and while we are unhappy the result we wanted wasn’t forthcoming, the fact we made a big points gain was critical. Nobody is counting their chickens but today’s result so shows what a bit of momentum does. Overall if we qualify better tomorrow we will be a chance to further close the gap and also fight for race wins.”

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