Drivers' quoteboard: Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600 - Practice
24 Oct 2014
"Car's been good all day then just better tyres at the end there felt really good, so a couple of steps forward and good times as well.
"It's just practice, but good to keep momentum going. We had a fast car the last few rounds, so just got to keep at it ... we just have to do it again in qualifying, start up the front and try and be there all race.
"We have a good race here with Jamie [Whincup, 2010] a few years ago so hopefully we'll be leading from the front this time. That was one of the best races I've ever had here, so pretty cool.
"Take more kerb than anyone else, and look after your car - it's a pretty hard combination."
"Still got a little bit to find and match him (van Gisbergen).
"I love the street circuit and the Holden Racing Team has a big history in street circuits... it's going to be an exciting weekend."
"We didn't run a full set of greens at the end there so our time was pretty good considering but we definitely need to find a few tenths to be challenging for pole. Dean [Canto] and I are big fans of this track and he did a good job earlier in the day on pretty old tyres. He knows the pace is in the car so while he was frustrated we've headed in the right direction. The tyre bundles work well but the organisers need to pick one system and stick to it. It is hard to judge as a driver what the sensor is going to do."
"I'm happy with how the car rolled out of the truck today. We made the gains we were after over the course of the day and the car is comfortable to drive which is the main thing. We didn't show our true pace today after triggering some sensors during our fastest lap which is a promising position to be in. They've done a good job working on the street circuit here at the Gold Coast and upgrading the chicanes, I'm a big fan of the tyre bundles because it means we all get to race hard which is more exciting for both the drivers and the fans, especially for our home race."
"It was pretty wild out there. There is a high level of commitment needed and we're bouncing around a fair bit so all the cars are going to need to deal with a fair beating this weekend. We were fifth and I am reasonably happy with that in what is a close field. Tomorrow we are a good chance to make the shootout but most importantly we need to be kind on our car in the race."
"We rolled the car out onto the track this morning and were quick straight away. Today really has been a good start as we have had a car running in the Top 10 in every session. Ash did a good job to be in P7 after his sessions, so it has set us up well.
"I made a few little errors on my last run on the new tyres which cost us a bit. I think the car was capable of top three position today. We now have to focus on Qualifying. Making the Top 10 Shootout is our goal but all in all a good first day."
"It was a tough day. The car is good in spots but not great in the last sector. If we can tidy that up we will be in a good position. The sensors meant we were battling with other elements today, which made it tougher than it needed to be. The tyre bundles are working well but the Turn 2 sensors are a big issue. Steve [Owen] and I have the same things we want to work on so that is a positive. We've used our practice as best as we could and if we get it right tonight there will be a big reward tomorrow."
"We were really happy with the car setup by the end of the day, it's a very forgiving car which is exactly what you need around this Gold Coast 600 circuit. We managed to get a race run done with my co-driver Steve Richards during the middle of the day which was really beneficial, now overnight we'll be looking to find that little extra something to post our best possible qualifying lap tomorrow. The track now has tyre bundles, which is a new addition this year, so we're all trying to find the fine line between triggering the sensor and not but we'll be looking to have a nice clean run tomorrow. It's always special here at our home race with our home crowd so to also reach a milestone of a different kind today with one million fans on Facebook is exciting and I'm proud to be a part of that."
"We tried a lot of things, but it's hard to know where we sit.
"Qualifying is going to be completely different tomorrow.
"Our car seems to be going not too bad, but qualifying will be real tell-tale for the weekend."
"We peaked a little bit too early today unfortunately.
"The car was really good out of the box, and as the track gripped up, we chased it a little bit, and unfortunately at the end we didn't run green tyres.
"We decided it was best to clear our kerb strikes, which we did, and then we had an air jack problem which meant that we didn't get a lap on greens.
"So were not exactly sure how we compare to the other guys, but the car is in good shape, were in good shape, and were looking forward to tomorrow."
"I scuffed up the side of my car in the last session pushing a bit too hard.
"Taz did a good job in his co-drivers sessions. He didn't make a mistake and he's feeling confident in the car.
"We'll have a think about the car now and try and fix it up for tomorrow."
"I was a bit frustrated there at the end, the day just sort of went a bit pear shaped.
"We had a few issues with a misfire in the last session, and I didn't get in any laps.
"We had a couple of tuning things we really had to tick off, but how that session ran we got to the end and put the green tyres on with no time left.
"There's a bit of thinking to do to try and gather it up for tomorrow."
"It wasn't a bad day. We struggled to make any massive in-roads, which wasn't ideal but we'll make changes tonight to improve our speed. Dave was quick so we'll see what he was doing differently. I enjoy driving here and have had some pretty good results in the past so qualifying tomorrow morning will be important but we need to not bend the car as we ll."
"It was quite good, the car rolled out of the truck very, very well.
"I felt quite comfortable in the car straight away, and it's all about getting a feel for the circuit and a feel for the balance of the car.
"It was good to get straight into it, and it was good to be P2 in the first session, I was pretty happy with that.
"The second session we opted to do more of a race run, where we stayed on some older tyres and did some longer stints.
"Obviously the pace wasn't there like the session before, but it was good to see how the soft tyre lasts over a race stint."
"It was a good day, but we still have a way to go. We are making progress with the car. It improves in one area then it lacks in another so we have to work on the total package tonight. I didn't run on great tyres but I have given the guys the two areas we really need to focus on. If we can make those improvements it will be really good step for a race package."
"After the first session I had to bounce back and make sure I kept it off the walls. We ran through a few changes, which really improved the car. I wanted to make sure I got comfortable with the car and concentrates on the kerbs. We have room to improve for sure, and I feel we really have a competitive package here."
"Unfortunately Tim Slade had a lose in front of me on our best lap, so really didn't get to finish the lap. The car balance was good though; Steve [Johnson] did a great job of setting the car up after his two stints and it did take a bit of getting used to.
It was quite different to what I am used to but essentially if feels very good."
"We had a plan and we stuck to it. I felt I could have gone better with better tyres, but that's not my role - I'm just here to get comfortable and support Michael.
"We have a lot of work to do, but overall, the car is actually pretty good. We just need to fine-tune it to get inside the top 10."
"We're struggling with the car at the moment. It's difficult to drive and it takes a lot to get a lap time out of it.
"I got held up on a couple of my laps, so I should have been a bit higher up, but having said that, the car isn't where it needs to be and we have a lot of work to do tonight to make it better."
"I had to get to grips with the track being only my second time here in a Supercar. It's a pretty unique and unforgiving track and it's something you want to build up to over the course of the day. There are some differences with the chicanes, with added tyre bundles and the like to adjust to as well. I'm looking forward to the race."
"Eye opening is the word.
"It's not like anywhere else I've ever had to drive, so I've had a lot to learn in a short space of time.
"We only had two half hour sessions, and that time just disappears, when its green it goes so, so quickly.
"I've got a lot to learn, but I think I've come to terms with it in the last few laps of the second session.
"My times were pretty good on a race set of tyres, and it seemed alright.
"The main thing is the race tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to it."
"We're struggling with the car at the moment. We've got problems trying to keep the rear in a straight line. I think we've got a lot of work to do overnight and tomorrow to qualify at a reasonable level."
