TOP 6 FOR JONES AT BATHURST

Transcription

1 Round Five 2005 Holden Performance Driving Centre (HPDC) V8 Supercar Development Series Mount Panorama, Bathurst, 6-9 October 2005 Photos: Marshall Cass Photography, James Smith TOP 6 FOR JONES AT BATHURST EVENT SCHEDULE Day Event Format Times Thursday Practice 35 Minutes 09:35-10:10 Thursday Practice 35 Minutes 14:20-14:55 Thursday Qualifying 20 Minutes 16:20-17:10 Friday Race 1 14 Laps 12:45-13:25 Saturday Race 2 14 Laps 13:35-14:15 FAST FACTS Quite confidence as the professional privateers head north Team morale boosted with support of many sponsor VIP s One hundred kilograms in additional mandatory ballast does nothing to halt the Spies Hecker Commodore s improvements, a whopping one and a half seconds over last year Some of Robbie s lap sector times on a par with the best Mountain-top speed increased dramatically with suspension improvements, the Spies Hecker Commodore was on rails Robbie starts Race One from a very encouraging twelfth place and maintains it over the distance Spies Hecker Commodore stays out of trouble whilst predictable carnage-a-plenty unfolds in Race Two Robbie claims sixth place in Race Two

2 INTRODUCTION Quiet confidence, tempered by the realty that Bathurst can be the cruellest of mistresses, saw the Spies Hecker Racing Team bag a fantastic result and take the fight right up to the Level One V8Supercar teams that also field entries in the Holden Performance Driving Centre V8Supercars Development Series: Australia s greatest race track delivered Robert Jones the great result that his hardworking Spies Hecker Racing team had been longoverdue for: a top sixth place. Robert explained, the car had a bit too much understeer, the tendency for it to plough across a corner, in the left hand corners. This was pronounced at places like the drop into Reid Park, the first section at the top of the mountain, and Forrest s Elbow, the tight corner leading onto Conrod Straight. At Bathurst the left hand corners are critical. We made some suspension adjustments, normally all teams make several adjustments throughout the preliminary sessions and even between races, but this time we hit the bulls eye first time and our lap times dropped from 2minutes 18 s down to the 15 s which is a huge drop in one go. You can be lucky but these things also come from experience, and there's plenty of that in the Spies Hecker Racing Team. From this point we didn t need to make any further adjustments to the car over the entire weekend, the Spies Hecker Racing Commodore drove like it was on rails. The new shockers that we fitted for this event were a good choice and played an important part in this too. Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 2

3 Being a public road for 360 days a year you never quite know what you're going to find the track surface like, I didn t find any noticeable difference but we got some first-hand reports from teams in the Main Game (the level one V8Supercars Series) that the surface was pretty grippy across the top. In the early stages of the weekend we examined the sector times of our car compared to those in the main game and found that they were very similar on the top sections across the mountain, the major differences being the haul up the mountain and the run down Conrod Straight, due to more horsepower but also because our Development Series cars have to carry an additional 100 kilograms in weight. That s to eliminate the huge advantage that the main game teams get from the data and testing that comes from the Development Series cars that they run as part of their overall operation. PRACTICE SESSIONS The first session was the usual reacquainting time with the track s layout and we used old tyres from the last outing at Mallala. For the second session we fitted the best of the old tyres from Mallala and went progressively faster. During this phase we made those suspension adjustments and improved our speed and lap times substantially. Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 3

4 QUALIFYING SESSION As always, the Qualifying Session is divided into two based on each car s combined lap times from the Practice Sessions to make the track less congested and give the chance for each car not to have a fast lap ruined by traffic. We were just above the cut-off and went out in the lower fifty per cent of the field. This meant that most of the cars were slower than us with the potential for us to still get a fast lap ruined by traffic, so we had a plan. Instead of leaving pit lane at the same time as everyone else we waited until the first car reached The Chase (the kink in Conrod Straight) which put the front of the pack well out of our way with a minute of clear track ahead of the Spies Hecker Racing Commodore. Our lap times were amongst the fastest cars and we swapped places on the order several times with Evangelou and Fernandez in a tough qualifying battle. I really knuckled down to it and posted a very good best time of 2minutes, 15.1-seconds. Our plan went to plan and the Spies Hecker Commodore was the second fastest for this session. After the next lot of cars went out we were slated to start Race One from thirteenth place on the grid. The car was a gem, in our session it was the fastest across the top sectors of the mountain which was a real achievement because that is the most dangerous part of the track. It even felt quick. Last year, at the McPhillamy Park section (the final stage before descent) the car felt like a huge pogo stick as it went through the dip and around the very fast left hander, the front wheels lifted off the ground and I waited for them to come back down and touch the ground before I turned-in to the corner. This year I held it flat out from thirty metres before the corner, it was like it was on rails. I had total confidence in the car which then added to my ability to really wring its neck and my lap times went faster and faster each time around, the last lap being my quickest. We compared our lap times to the front running cars in the Development Series and found some very rewarding lessons, we had improved by one and a half seconds where they had gone slower by two. This was quite a massive gain for us despite carrying an extra one hundred kilos. All cars were checked by the Scrutineers as a matter of course after qualifying. Unbeknown to us one of the cars in front of us on the grid was found to have infringed or had an illegal specification on their car and put to the back of the grid, moving us up to Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 4

5 twelfth place for the commencement of the first of two fourteen lappers, other years where we had only one race on twenty five. RACE ONE The worst thing you can at Bathurst is drop the clutch too hard off the Start Line and break something in the drivetrain because of the heavier fuel load, not to mention this year s extra hundred kilograms. I bogged it down off the start line because of this but just about everyone else did too. I was a bit concerned about some spots of rain that appeared on my windscreen, but it turned out to be just a passing shower. Shortly into the race I caught the leading pack and stayed with them whilst they diced for position over the ensuing laps. My race went really well and without major incident, but I did have one close call. Going into Reid Park the car drifted just a bit too wide through the high-speed left hander and glanced the concrete wall which is right up against the track s edge. It sounded pretty bad from inside the car and I was expecting to the side of the car pancaked, several seconds and several hundred metres later I was heading toward Skyline (the crest commencing the steep descent) it occurred to me that the steering or some part of the suspension such as the Watts Link might have been damaged; let me tell you, the run down the mountain is not the place you want to find out about something like that. As things turned out the Spies Hecker Commodore was unscathed went on went on to take twelfth. RACE TWO We started from twelfth place again. The weather was looking threatening but the decision was made to start on slick tyres. However on the Warm Up lap it rained as we crossed the top of the mountain, in fact it bucketed, the track was like an ice skating rink. I got a ripper start when the lights went green and I fired up the inside of someone, we went three-wide through Turn One. I got squeezed on both sides as Voight and Scifleet closed over on me, they contacted the Spies Hecker Commodore and got spat in opposite directions, reaching the top of the mountain front-running Luff hit the wall and that was just the first half of lap one. Exiting Forrest s Elbow Aaron McGill skewed sideways, I went to the left of him and gassed it and went sideways too, out of no-where Grant Denyer shot through the middle of us. The Red Flag came out so that the track could be cleaned of debris, the decision was made to stay on slicks and we followed the Safety Car for several laps. On the restart Holdsworth was punted into the wall before the first corner which almost presented an opening for me but I got baulked and held position running up Mountain Straight, another Safety Car period was called to allow Holdsworth s mess to be cleared up. The weather conditions were still dodgy and it was raining heavily across the top of the mountain but was completely dry on the lower half of the track. Cars ahead and behind of me chose to go into the pits to fit wet tyres but we didn t. Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 5

6 Upon resumption Savage hit the wall exiting The Dipper, Loadsman followed him in and drilled him in the door and was spat across the road. Apparently he was knocked unconscious and the race was called because a lot of time had already been lost behind the Safety Car and Top Ten Shootout was coming up. So we were awarded with a sensational sixth place. SUMMARY At conclusion of the event Bob Jones was ebullient with praise for Robbie s performance, understandably proud as a father but also impartially as a seasoned Touring Car veteran and Bathurst 1000 campaigner, Paris and Peter (team engineers) both commented how well he drove, particularly in the changeable wet and dry. Highlights for me were his 190km/h scrape with the wall at McPhillamy which took the paint off the mirror and only lost a few tenths of a second on that lap- he just didn t lift off, the kangaroo jumping out in front of him, and his call to go with dry tyres when the top half of the track was wet and treacherous which was very brave indeed. I don t think I would have made that call, in fact I said at the time I really wouldn t like to be driving right now on that track, it was just too dangerous. We had two special guests on Friday, Steve Corna (former South African Touring Car Champion) and Rick Naylor, General manager and Mobile Solutions Manager for ADI Thales Telematics, business partners of Recar. Peter Slack was there representing Spies Hecker as well as a number of Recar staff members from Brisbane and New South Wales. Robbie closed with, we didn t crack the magic 300 kilometres per hour barrier, but got very close with a fastest speed of 284 but it was a weekend that finally ran our way. It was the first time we had completed a Bathurst race with a clean car, and with consistently fast lap times. Behind the scenes the weekend was blast too, everyone always enjoys themselves and our morale was boosted with the attendance of numerous sponsor VIP guests from Thales, Recar and Spies Hecker The Development Series normally wraps up the year with its grand finale at Bathurst but we ve got one more outing to come. Its another conjunctional event with the Main Game at another of the nation s great tracks, Phillip Island. So stay tuned for this is on 6-8 November. Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 6

7 Robe rrtt tthank s tthe generrous supporr tt off:: VAWDREY TRAILERS Produced by Eric Norton. Telephone For more photos and team information visit. Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 7

8 Practice Race Day: Thursday, 09:35-10:10 POS CAR DRIVER VEHICLE LAPS LAP LAP 1 60 Warren Luff Falcon BA : Dean Canto Falcon BA : : MacDonald Falcon BA : : Adam Macrow Falcon BA : : Mark Porter Falcon BA : : Grant Elliott Falcon AU : : Phillip Scifleet Falcon AU : : Evangelou Falcon BA : : D'Alberto Commodore VY : : Holdsworth Commodore VY 7 7 2: : Robert Jones Commodore VX : : Steve Voight Falcon BA : : Jay Verdnik Commodore VY : : Adam Wallis Commodore VX : : Henderson Falcon AU : : Grant Denyer Falcon BA : : Dean Wanless Falcon AU : : Mark Howard Falcon BA : : Fernandez Falcon BA 2 1 2: : Shane Beikoff Falcon AU : : Papendell Commodore VX : : Gary Deane Falcon AU 5 5 2: : Loadsman Commodore VX : : Dean Savage Commodore VX : : Greg Smith Falcon AU : : Aaron McGill Commodore VX 1 GAP Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 8

9 Practice Race Day: Thursday, 14:20-14:55 POS CAR DRIVER VEHICLE LAPS LAP LAP TIME 1 71 Dean Canto Falcon BA : Warren Luff Falcon BA : : Holdsworth Commodore VY : : Tony D'Alberto Commodore VY : : Mark Porter Falcon BA : : MacDonald Falcon BA : : Phillip Scifleet Falcon AU : : Grant Elliott Falcon AU : : Adam Macrow Falcon BA 5 2 2: : Grant Denyer Falcon BA : : Dean Wanless Falcon AU : : Steve Voight Falcon BA : : Mark Howard Falcon BA : : Evangelou Falcon BA : : Robert Jones Commodore VX : : Jay Verdnik Commodore VY : : Adam Wallis Commodore VX : : Aaron McGill Commodore VX : : Loadsman Commodore VX : : Papendell Commodore VX : : Shane Beikoff Falcon AU : : Dean Savage Commodore VX 5 4 2: : Greg Smith Falcon AU : : GAP Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 9

10 Qualifying Race Day: Thursday, 16:20-17:10 POS CAR DRIVER VEHICLE LAPS LAP LAP TIME 1 71 Dean Canto Falcon BA 5 1 2: Adam Macrow Falcon BA 5 3 2: : Warren Luff Falcon BA 5 3 2: : Gary MacDonald Falcon BA 5 2 2: : Tony D'Alberto Commodore VY 5 2 2: : Lee Holdsworth Commodore VY 2 2 2: : Phillip Scifleet Falcon AU 5 3 2: : Mark Porter Falcon BA 5 3 2: : Grant Elliott Falcon AU 6 3 2: : Grant Denyer Falcon BA 4 3 2: : Tony Evangelou Falcon BA 7 6 2: : Dean Wanless Falcon AU 4 4 2: : Robert Jones Commodore VX 7 6 2: : Adam Wallis Commodore VX 7 6 2: : Mark Howard Falcon BA 5 4 2: : Jose Fernandez Falcon BA 5 5 2: : Jay Verdnik Commodore VY 8 6 2: : Aaron McGill Commodore VX 6 6 2: : Shane Beikoff Falcon AU 8 7 2: : John Henderson Falcon AU 8 3 2: : Scott Loadsman Commodore VX 6 5 2: : Gary Deane Falcon AU 5 5 2: : Greg Smith Falcon AU 7 6 2: : Dean Savage Commodore VX 6 6 2: : Mark Papendell Commodore VX 19 Steve Voight Falcon BA GAP Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 10

11 Race 1 Race Day: Friday, 12:45-13:25 POS CAR DRIVER VEHICLE LAPS RACE TIME LAP TIME 1 71 Dean Canto Falcon BA 13 28: : Warren Luff Falcon BA 13 29: : Tony D'Alberto Commodore VY 13 29: : Adam Macrow Falcon BA 13 29: : MacDonald Falcon BA 13 29: : Mark Porter Falcon BA 13 29: : Grant Denyer Falcon BA 13 29: : Lee Holdsworth Commodore VY 13 29: : Grant Elliott Falcon AU 13 29: : Jose Fernandez Falcon BA 13 29: : Phillip Scifleet Falcon AU 13 29: : Robert Jones Commodore VX 13 29: : Jay Verdnik Commodore VY 13 29: : Steve Voight Falcon BA 13 30: : Adam Wallis Commodore VX 13 30: : Gary Deane Falcon AU 13 30: : Shane Beikoff Falcon AU 13 30: : Aaron McGill Commodore VX 13 30: : Scott Loadsman Commodore VX 13 31: : Greg Smith Falcon AU 12 29: : Dean Savage Commodore VX 12 29: : Tony Evangelou Falcon BA 12 30: : DNF 56 John Henderson Falcon AU 12 28: : DNF 37 Mark Howard Falcon BA 6 25: : DNF 28 Dean Wanless Falcon AU 3 7: : Results and lap times tables for Race Two unavailable at time of publication Race Report. Spies Hecker Racing 11