PremiAir set for crucial pre-Bathurst test

Off the back of claiming their maiden podium finish at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, PremiAir Racing are set to tackle the Repco Bathurst 1000 with all guns blazing.

Whilst fellow Queensland teams Triple Eight, Dick Johnson Racing, and Matt Stone Racing all tested in the weeks before Sandown, PremiAir held their test day.

The Nulon Camaros of Tim Slade/Cameron McLeod and James Golding/David Russell will be taking to Queensland Raceway on Monday for their final test of the season.

Golding and Russell in particular have suddenly emerged as a real contender for Bathurst after their stunning charge from 14th to third at Sandown.

Competition director Ludo Lacroix believes there is still room for improvement for the team, with the test day aiming to set the team up to hit the ground running at Mount Panorama.

“On the weekend overall, we only showed speed on the warm-up and Sunday, which is a little late to me, we need to be more pacey early on,” said Lacroix.

“But what is very positive is rewarding Peter and Carmen [Xiberras] with the first podium after a couple of hard years and a lot of investment humanly and financially, and I think that is really important to us to thank them for all they have fought and to give them a chance to believe we can go better. 

“The pace of car 31 was really good and that is really encouraging and we need to repeat that at Bathurst. We have one test day and then Bathurst and we need to keep doing what we have done.”

Lacroix was full of praise for the performance of the #31 Camaro at Sandown, with Russell immediately proving his worth as a co-driver having switched from Erebus Motorsport.

It was also a maiden podium finish for Golding, who was the biggest winner in the championship having moved from ninth to sixth heading into Bathurst.

“Very good work from Dave Russell, he actually brought us a lot of freshness and calm which was really positive for us I think, and outside vision which was good," Lacroix said.

“Jimmy was really good in the race I thought, the second part of the race he was very careful, attentive, I think the fact that he felt into the top five and then was going into the fight for the last 60 lap made him a more angry and talented driver, I am really pleased for him. 

“We need to repeat more of that attitude. Did we have a very good car? Probably, but some of it comes from them when we put them in that position and they can see the finish line, the light at the end of the tunnel and it brings out the best in them, we don’t always get the best out of them. 

“So that was positive. It was a tricky race, because a lot of safety cars, a lot of decisions to make on the fly, pitting, not pitting, pitting for tyres, pitting for driver, pitting for fuel, so that was actually a nearly faultless race (for #31)."

The sister car had a troubled run to twelfth, with PremiAir's Super2 young gun McLeod enduring a baptism by fire in his Supercars debut, however Lacroix could see promise in their pace.

There is plenty of intrigue around Slade's future at PremiAir Racing, with his contract ending after Adelaide and the likes of Mark Winterbottom, Richie Stanaway, and Scott Pye among others linked to the seat.

Lacroix says that the result could've been even better for the #23 Camaro had it not been for a costly fumble in a late race pit stop, which would've otherwise seen both cars well inside the top 10.

“We had a cross thread [wheel nut] on [car] 23 which probably cost us five spots at the end. Tim was around P7 at the end before the last safety car where we changed the four tyres and had a cross thread on the rear," Lacroix added.

"That meant in changing the tyre the spare tyre was not a green set so that was a poor set unfortunately so that cost us twice in costing us time and it cost a good tyre, but it mainly cost time. 

“There was also a bit of shenanigans on car 23 earlier in the race, Cam got involved in a couple of fights that cost us some time. But from there they were basically 22nd or 23rd, we came back to P7 so that was a positive too.

"It showcased that by staying composed and calm we can come back and overcome a setback, so that is a positive."

The 2024 Supercars Championship resumes at the Repco Bathurst 1000 from October 10-13. Tickets for the event are on sale now.