Holdsworth thumbs up

Lee Holdsworth has given his new Erebus Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG the thumbs up after the first two practice sessions today at the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600.

The new car has been built up since Bathurst where Holdsworth ended upside down inside his regular mount at turn two late in the race after a Russell Ingall punt.

That car had already been rebuilt after a huge shunt at Sandown when a tyre failed on the back straight.

The new car started life as the first New Generation racer built by Stone Brothers Racing and had originally tested in Ford Falcon bodywork. But now converted to the latest Erebus spec and running Benz bodywork, this is its first race.

"There has been a lot of effort involved in getting this car ready for this race, and it feels good," said Holdsworth.

"It's really hard to say if it feels better unless you back-to-back the two cars, but it certainly doesn't feel any worse.

"Everything is good at this stage."

Holdsworth posted 14th fastest time in the first session and co-driver Craig Baird was 10th in session two.

Last year the pair claimed 12th and fifth places in the two 300km races on the Gold Coast to finish fifth in the inaugural Pirtek Enduro Cup.

This year after the crashes at Sandown and Bathurst they have yet to score a point and are hoping for a change of fortune.

"We definitely need some reward for all our hard work and hard luck," he said.

The main problem Holdsworth struck this morning was a pitlane penalty for persistent kerb hopping.

"I think getting a one minute penalty for kerb strikes in practice is absolute crap because you get your times taken off you anyway. What does it achieve in the end? We are all trying to find what works for us out there and trying to find the track limits and what they have changed from last year.

"You are always trying to get to the point where you are triggering them and then backing off."