PRESS ROOM

JELD-WEN Motorsport, Caltex Racing to Start Top Ten at Bathurst 1000

Round 10, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama

Practice/Top Ten Shootout Report

Saturday 6 October 2007

The JELD-WEN Motorsport and Caltex Racing Falcons will start top ten in tomorrow’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama following today’s top ten shoot out.

JELD-WEN Motorsport’s James Courtney took the wheel in the shoot out after qualifying fifth in yesterday’s session.

Courtney had a tough job with no new tyres available for his shoot out lap. The JELD-WEN Motorsport driver put in a great effort to place the SBR Falcon eighth on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Russell Ingall piloted the Caltex Racing Falcon in today’s shoot out, ultimately qualifying tenth after sliding off the track on the final corner.

Earlier today, the SBR crew used this morning’s one-hour practice session as a shakedown for tomorrow, including full pit stop practices.

Co-drivers David Besnard and Luke Youlden did the majority of laps in the JELD-WEN Motorsport and Caltex Racing Falcons, fine-tuning race set-ups for tomorrow’s 161 lap race.

The Caltex Racing and JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcons will be on track for the V8 Supercar warm-up at 7:10am tomorrow morning. The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 starts at 10:30am.

In the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, SBR’s Jonathon Webb produced a great drive in race two to come from the rear of the grid to tenth in the 14 lap race.

Webb currently sits in fourth place in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series with the final round at Phillip Island still to come.

Russell Ingall, car #9, Caltex Racing

“Being in the top ten was always the goal for qualifying.

“We achieved that yesterday and anything beyond that was going to be a bonus.

“We didn’t get that bonus today.

“It won’t affect our race tomorrow. We have a very strong car and if we can keep our nose clean we can be in it at the end.”

Luke Youlden, car #9, Caltex Racing

“I was first out in the Caltex Falcon this morning.

“We ran almost a full tank of fuel and practice tyres to see how the car would handle during the race.

“Russell (Ingall) did some laps on lighter tanks. Everything is coming together nicely and we have a good race set up.

“I’m feeling really comfortable out there after another good run in the Fujitsu Series today."

James Courtney, car #4, JELD-WEN Motorsport

“We had to use more tyres than we wanted to on Thursday as we had a bit of an issue with the brakes grabbing.

We sorted that out but it put us on the back foot for tyres during qualifying and the shoot out.

“We concentrated a bit more on race set up than outright speed for the shoot out knowing that we didn’t have new bags to throw on.

“I’m very happy with the time we did with the tyres we had. We probably don’t have the speed of the first couple of cars but we probably could have been fourth with a new set of bags.

“We need to stay around there tomorrow, don’t do anything stupid and see where we come out at the end.”

David Besnard, car #4, JELD-WEN Motorsport

“We went out this morning on old tyres with a fair bit of fuel on board and concentrated on our race package.

“We found a few little gains and James (Courtney) thinks that the car was better again during the shoot out.

“The JELD-WEN car puts in good times quite easily. Yesterday it was fast but nervous, now it is fast and comfortable to drive.

“This is the best shot I’ve had in a few years at Bathurst, probably since I was last at SBR.”

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JELD-WEN Motorsport, Caltex Racing to Start Top Ten at Bathurst 1000

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