PRESS ROOM

SBR Shakedown During Eastern Creek Opener

Round 2, Eastern Creek International Raceway, NSW

7 March 2008

Stone Brothers Racing has used today’s opening practice session at round two of the V8 Supercar Championship Series as a shakedown for James Courtney’s newly-rebuilt JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon and for Eastern Creek Raceway debutant Shane van Gisbergen.

SBR’s 2005 championship winning chassis has been brought back into service following Courtney’s heavy hit at the Clipsal Adelaide 500 two weeks ago.

Courtney was 15th fastest in today’s two-and-a-quarter hour practice session as he put the rebuilt JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon through its paces.

The Gold Coast driver’s session was not without dramas, the number-four BF Ford Falcon spending the better part of 30 minutes in the pits to replace a split oil line.

SBR’s Jonathon Webb took the early stint in the JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon, putting the ‘endurance driver’ practice session to good use.

SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen also used today’s practice session as a shakedown of sorts, the young Kiwi having his first outing on the 3.93km Sydney circuit.

Van Gisbergen was 17th fastest at the end of the session, following his fifth fastest time in part one of practice.

The SP Tools Racing driver, whose focus today was on learning the circuit and settling in, hopes to move into the top 15 in qualifying tomorrow.

Courtney and van Gisbergen will take to the track at 12:05pm tomorrow for the three-leg elimination-style qualifying session followed by race one at 3:30pm.

James Courtney, car #4, JELD-WEN Motorsport

“It was a tough day today.

“The JELD-WEN Falcon broke an oil line just as I went out for my first session so that put us in the pits for the first 30 minutes.

“We played catch up after that; we never had it at any point.

“We struggled for grip then when we started to hit on it I got held up in some traffic. It was one of those days.

“We feel that we should have been around tenth fastest. With some work tonight I’m sure we will come out firing tomorrow.”

Shane van Gisbergen, car #9, SP Tools Racing

“My first run here at Eastern Creek was okay. It’s a pretty tough circuit and it’s hard on tyres.

“We set a pretty good time at the end and it’s not far off where we hoped to be at this stage.

“We got up as high as fourth when we put our second set of tyres on early. That gave us direction with the SP Tools Racing Falcon and gave us something to work on.

“Today was about learning the track and settling in. We have some changes to make to the car and we should be good for tomorrow.”

Ross Stone, Team Principal, Stone Brothers Racing

“I have never seen Eastern Creek so tyre-sensitive.

“There was up to two seconds a lap difference on a set of new tyres. Setting the cars up on old tyres was a bit misleading and we didn’t quite have it right when we put the green tyres on.

“The SP Tools Racing Falcon is pretty good and for Shane’s first time at Eastern Creek he has done very well.

“We have some adjustments to make on the JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon to get back to where we should be.”

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