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Drivers' Quoteboard - Race Three

06 Apr 2013
See what the drivers had to say about Race Three at the Tasmania Microsoft Office 365 at Symmons Plains.
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Fabian Coulthard, Lockwood Racing, p1:

"The win at the GP didn't go towards our championship so this is sweeter. One that counts means a little bit more so it's pretty awesome to finally get one.

"Qualifying on the front row is also nice. We need to make up for the poor result we had at Clipsal.  We took a pretty big hit there and we've got a lot of work to do. The key is to finish races.

"I don't see myself going anywhere. I've got a good home in BJR (Brad Jones Racing); I've found a team I'm comfortable with and it shows now in my results."

Jamie Whincup, Red Bull Racing, p2:

"We were very, very quick in the first 25 laps but unlike the guy beside me, we de-tuned the car during the break. it was a bit of a laugh really.

"Everyone was locking up and running off, there was crap all over the track and it was all going on from my cockpit.

"At that restart we were pretty much working it out as we went along. We will clean a few things up but in all a good day." 

Mark Winterbottom, Pepsi Max FPR, p3:

"Overall the car felt great today and I really just need one area sorted. If we can address that overnight I think we will be on the money tomorrow.

“It was good to get on the podium and I think had we qualified better and been in the lead we would've had the pace to win.

“We need to qualify better tomorrow and from the front we will be much stronger. It's good to be on the podium and it has been a pretty good day for the team."

Garth Tander, Holden Racing Team, p5:

“I’m reasonably happy. Obviously we would’ve liked to have been on the podium but we’ll make incremental steps. We were in the top five all day today. Hopefully we can make changes and get on the podium tomorrow.”

Will Davison, Pepsi Max FPR Ford, p6:

"We had a good points haul today and I really enjoyed the format as it produced hard and aggressive racing. We came out with a straight car, which is important, and I made strong progress from yesterday so I'm happy.

“I was fifth in leg one and was happy with my effort though on the restart I lost a bit of ground and from then on I found it hard to pass as all the cars are so close in the top group. We are showing some good signs but there are some things we need to sort tonight and if we can qualify up front we can fight for the win."

James Courtney, Holden Racing Team, p9:

“Today probably didn’t go to plan, this morning we had an engine drama in qualifying so we lost a heap of running time and only got half an effort in there, so that’s why we qualified so far back. It made the day a lot harder than it had to be. And with it being non-pitstop races, we couldn’t get it back through strategy so we had to work pretty hard o track.

“The first races we probably struggled a little bit with the car, in the little break we made some changes to the car and made it a lot better in the second. So to go from 13th to ninth no pitstops and all the carnage that went on with the double file restart and everything it’s not too bad, so we’ll polish her up and see tomorrow.

“We’ve still got quite a bit of work to do to shine it up and get a bit more out of it… It’s consistent but we want it consistently faster.”

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David Reynolds, The Bottle-O FPR, p14:

“The rolling start cost me a bit of time due to a bit of commotion in the mid-pack but the mistake I made earlier put me there so I can't complain too much. Encouragingly we made some good gains in the half-time break and the car was dramatically better in the second half, I unfortunately didn't have the track position to make the most of it. I must qualify better tomorrow and that should help me stay at the front."

Michael Caruso, Norton 360 Racing, p16:

"It's always great to move back through the field, particularly at a circuit like this where we are lacking in some areas.

"The car isn't too bad and we are roping people in towards the end of the race. We have a lot of work to do, and we'll try and do it better tomorrow."

Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, p20:

“The first race wasn't too good, but the second race we made up a few spots, but obviously far from ideal finishing position for us.

"Regardless, we've got to get as many points as we can while the sun doesn't shine for us in a straight line and I think we managed to do that ok today and a few more spots would have been a good result for us.

“I'm looking forward to tomorrow to be honest, we're going to change a few things overnight, now we've got a pretty good understanding of where we're at and where we need to improve, so a poor result, but good confidence for tomorrow."

Jonny Reid, Wilson Security Racing, p24:  

“Unfortunately for me the car went away during the two races and I think we have some work to manage the tyre life at this track. I had to drive towards the end to conserve the tyres and this affected my pace. I spent most of the afternoon battling the AMG Mercedes but it was very difficult to try and stick the Wilson Security Falcon up the inside without risking taking us both out. We have to see if we can carry what we learnt today into the longer races tomorrow.”

Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel's Racing, DNF:

"I was quite enjoying the first sector of that race, the car was really strong under brakes and strong in the corners and I got a pretty good idea of where our weaknesses are around this place, given that's the first time I've been close to another car.

“I actually got beside a couple of other cars and had a crack at passing them and they just drove off again up the straights, so it's certainly the straights that are knocking us around and we get the cars around us back in the corners.

"I was looking forward to the second half of that to have a crack at one of these new starts and try and get a few more spots, but as soon as I tried to start the car it wound over funny on the starter motor and then the steering was locked and I lost oil pressure as well.

"I had to shut it down at the end of pit lane and unfortunately watch the rest of the race, so hopefully we don't have to pull the engine out after not having oil pressure, but I'll have to get it back and confirm that."

Maro Engel, SP Tools Racing, DNF:

“I really enjoyed driving here today on this track, it’s short but it’s challenging and it’s definitely a fun track.

“We worked through a lot of things today in the practice session and some of them made the car work better and some didn’t.

“Then in qualifying the team did a really good job and I was quite close to my team mates, but unfortunately I got a bit of traffic on the second last corner which cost a tenth and that was the difference. So I was fairly happy with that and obviously we want to be more competitive…

“I’m a little bit annoyed with myself with how the second half of the race went. I got off to a good start but unfortunately then it didn’t go too well for us especially since we were struggling with a big flat spot on the tyre and at the end it caused me to go straight on at the hairpin.”

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