PRESS ROOM

SBR Receives Wild Welcome to Winton

Round 8, Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC

01 August 2008

Stone Brothers Racing received a wild welcome to round eight of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Winton Motor Raceway today.

Wet and windy weather played havoc in the V8 Supercar paddock as JELD-WEN Motorsport’s James Courtney set the 13th fastest time in opening practice while SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen made an early exit from the session after sliding into the wall.

Courtney showed pace early on a damp circuit, his good form in the wet placing him consistently inside the top five.

On a drying track the JELD-WEN Motorsport driver struggled with turn, eventually setting the 13th fastest time in the two-and-a-quarter hour session.

Courtney is confident that his BF Falcon will have good race pace in the first of three races tomorrow afternoon.

SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen made an inauspicious debut at Winton today, setting the fastest time in the first 30-minute session before ricocheting off a kerb into the wall in the second session, the resulting damage ending his day.

Van Gisbergen pulled up sore after the incident but was cleared of any serious injury by track medical staff.

The SP Tools Racing team were hard at work repairing the BF Falcon following practice and expect to have it back on track tomorrow for qualifying at 11:15am.

Tomorrow’s three-leg elimination style qualifying session will be followed by race one at 3:30pm.

SBR endurance driver David Besnard also had the opportunity to gain track time in the JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon in this morning’s first 30-minute practice session, setting the 12th fastest time.

In the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, SBR’s Jonathon Webb was sixth fastest after today’s two practice sessions and will take part in the upper 50% qualifying session tomorrow morning.

James Courtney, #4, JELD-WEN Motorsport

“The JELD-WEN Falcon was good on a wet track.

“We struggled a bit with turn as it dried out. We will work on getting more heat into the tyres tomorrow to find more turn.

“I think the JELD-WEN Falcon will be a very good race car this weekend, maybe not so much outright pace.

“We always knew that Winton would be tough but I am certain that we are on the right track.”

Shane van Gisbergen, #9, SP Tools Racing

“I was pushing pretty hard when I bounced off a kerb at the sweeper.

“I shot off the track and into the wall. It was a decent hit.

“There was a fair bit of damage to the SP Tools Racing Falcon but it looks like it will be okay for tomorrow.

“I’m a bit sore but hopefully I’ll pull up okay.”

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