No cool suit, no worries: Holdsworth's busy test

A sweltering Winton proved the tonic for Lee Holdsworth to test his fitness ahead of his full-time return.

Holdsworth completed pre-season testing at Winton on Tuesday alongside fellow southern state teams.

The day proved tricky for some, with incidents and mechanical gremlins keeping some teams busy.

Other teams, like Holdsworth’s former Bathurst-winning Walkinshaw Andretti United, bedded in new drivers.

For Holdsworth, his Grove Racing track debut was centred on a busy track programme.

For even the fittest of drivers like Holdsworth, that was no mean feat as ambient temperatures pushed above 32 degrees.

That equates to over 60 degrees in the car.

"We got through a pretty extensive programme, which is what we came here to do," Holdsworth told Supercars.com.

"Dave [Reynolds, teammate] and I are singing the same tune, which is positive when creating a direction in the cars.

"I think over the course of the day, we unlocked a few tools and they gave us direction.

"We’ve got such limited opportunities to tune these cars. You’ve gotta make the most of every day.

"I did a hell of a lot of laps today; I got my race fitness today. There’s no better training than being in the car without a cool suit."

Holdsworth departed pit lane as soon as the clock struck 8:30am local time, and was one of the last to return to pit lane at 5:00pm.

Although a veteran of 400-plus race starts, any seat time is valuable for Holdsworth as he acclimatises to his new car.

Holdsworth missed out on a 2021 full-time drive after he was dropped by Tickford Racing.

He sealed a move to WAU alongside Chaz Mostert, and duly won the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Three months on from the Great Race, and 17 months after his last full-time season ended, Holdsworth had reason to full rusty.

However, by Tuesday’s end, he cut a happier figure as he came to grips with his #10 Penrite Racing Mustang.

"The track was pretty crap; it was super hot," he said.

"It was hard to get a balance with the car. I feel pretty comfortable in the car.

"It takes a long time to get used to a new car; being in it all day helps.

"It felt like my car by the end of the day, which is a great feeling.

"But there are still a few things we need to work on."

Through it all, seeing the Holdsworth name - and the Holdsworth name alone - back on the window buoyed the veteran.

"It’s awesome to be back full-time," he said.

"Especially with a team like this. I feel I have so much support here. It’s a proud moment.

"The people are excellent. From what I’ve seen so far, we have what it takes to be competitive.

"It’s cool to be part of the journey and back in the series."

Holdsworth will make his full-time return at next weekend's Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight. CLICK HERE to purchase your event tickets.