Prodrive opts against pre-Sandown test

Prodrive boss Tim Edwards says missing out on a pre-event test won’t hinder his team’s chances of winning the Wilson Security Sandown 500.

The Melbourne-based squad had been weighing up returning to Winton tomorrow after heavy rain saw it forced to abort its run at the Victorian venue last Wednesday.

Forecasts of more showers for the Winton region tomorrow have, however, seen Prodrive elect against testing, with the team now looking at running between Sandown and Bathurst.

Prodrive joins Garry Rogers Motorsport, Brad Jones Racing and Preston Hire Racing in heading to Sandown without a test following last week’s rain.

“The forecast is for up to 2mm of rain so there’s no point wasting a day,” Edwards told Supercars.com after the decision was made early this afternoon.

“With the running we did last Tuesday (before the 11am cut-off) we were able to tick off a lot of the things that this test is generally allocated for.

“The driver change and pitstop practice, all of that stuff, we were able to run through. As tests go, this is the best one to have this happen to.

“We won’t let the day go to waste. It’d be logical to do it before Bathurst, but Winton is a busy track and we need to see what we can fit in.

“We go to Sandown feeling that we’ve got a team that can win. Our driver combination has a great spread of youth and experience that puts us in a strong position.”

Erebus general manager Barry Ryan told Supercars.com that he’s surprised Prodrive has opted against running and confirmed his team will head to Winton regardless.

“The weather looks like it should be alright,” he said.

“We’ll just have to go and see. We won’t run around all day in the wet if that’s how it is, but we think it’ll be fine.

“At worst we can do pitstop practice for a couple of hours and utilise the rules like the other teams did last week.”

Erebus was the only team not to plan a test last week, instead scheduling its pre-Sandown run for Wednesday, September 13.

While that would have seen its cars head straight from the test to Sandown, the team jumped on the chance to move it forward a day.

“Tuesday becoming available gives us a day back in the workshop to change drop-gears and do a set-up for Sandown,” he said.

Erebus has been busy producing new suspension components ahead of its test, locking in a revised specification that it had trialled at earlier events this year.

The team unveiled retro colours for its Dale Wood/Chris Pither entry this morning, while a new look for its David Reynolds/Luke Youlden Holden will be revealed tomorrow.

Prodrive's decision not to test means fans will have to wait a little longer to see the retro Supercheap Auto scheme for Chaz Mostert and his co-driver Steve Owen.