Got this from V8 Supercars Website :
HRT Names Driver Pairings For Queensland
The Holden Racing Team today revealed its driver line up for the first of the 2002 Endurance races, the VIP Petfoods 500 at Queensland Raceway next week.
Sharing the #1 HRT VX Commodore will be the 2 drivers who currently stand one and two in this year's V8 Supercar Championship, Mark Skaife and Jason Bright, while in the #2 car is 6-time Bathurst winner Jim Richards and long-time HRT driver Tomas Mezera.
HRT General manager Jeff Grech confirmed the line-ups today.
"Should the #1 car be successful, it gives Jason the best opportunity to consolidate 2nd place in the Series, as well as maximise Mark's Championship lead." Grech said today. "They've been driving full time all year and the set up of their two cars has been closer together than ever before over the past few race meetings so it makes for the ideal combination.
"The other consideration is, the Queensland 500 will be a flat-out sprint and given the other leading combinations of Murphy and Todd Kelly, Ambrose and Paul Weel, Lowndes/Crompton etc, then putting Skaife and Bright together is what's needed."
Grech also highlighted the value that Jim Richards and Tomas Mezera have added to the Team. "They're the ideal pairing and their times in practice could well see them challenge in their own right. Jim and Tomas will be right on the pace and should be another strong partnership." Grech concluded.
Skaife and Bright will share the Team's brand new VX Commodore that Bright drove to victory in the last V8 Supercar round at Winton recently, while Mezera and Richards will team up in Skaife's regular chassis.
"It's a sensible Team decision!" Skaife commented about HRT's announcement.
"Given that the Holden Racing Team is striving for Championship one-two, then that's the choice that had to be made, especially considering the opposition in Queensland. There'll be plenty of other number 1 drivers teamed together like Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna, Ingall and Steven Richards and Radisich and Steven Johnson. You have to be able to go with them all day!"
Bright too was in favour of the move: "It makes sense and certainly gives us a good chance as far as our Series aspirations are concerned. It's that time of the year where a number of us are battling for 2nd overall in the Championship and the pressure will be on.
"We had a very worthwhile test at Winton this week (Tuesday September 3rd,)and our seating positions and car balance were very similar so, no major compromises have to be made. All things being equal, we can hopefully achieve our aims in Queensland."
Jim Richards and Tomas Mezera posted very competitive times too at the Holden Racing Team Winton test, but both are taking a conservative approach to the VIP Petfoods 500.
"Look, if we can qualify around 10th to 12th, I'd be quite happy." Said the veteran Richards this week. "Realistically we'd be aiming for a top 5 finish and that's quite possible. Tomas and I are a good fit, our lap times are very similar and at this stage of our careers, we're not having to try and prove ourselves."
For his part, racing with 6-time Bathurst winner Richards is a plus for Mezera.
"I always wanted to race with Jimmy and it almost came about in 1993. This time, it's really happening and I'm very happy about it! For a couple of 'old blokes,' we might surprise a few!
"Where we will struggle a bit is in qualifying as neither of us know how to get the most out of 'green' tyres the way that Skaifey and Jason (Bright) do. But in the race I don't think we'll be too far off the pace." Mezera predicted.
One car that may surprise at Queensland Raceway is the Holden Young Lion entry for Rick Kelly and Nathan Pretty. Kelly has shown consistent pace over the past few rounds as the 19 year-old comes to grips with V8 Supercar racing and has qualified in the top 10 on the last 3 occasions, while Pretty is "fresh" from last week's 6,000k drive in the Australian Safari rally.
Both participated in the Winton test, recording almost identical times and were within a tenth or two of Skaife and Bright in the HRT cars.
"It wouldn't be hard to do better than we did in last year's 500." Kelly pointed out. In last year's VIP Petfoods 500 the pair shared one of the Kmart Commodores, which unfortunately retired on lap 2 with a tail-shaft failure!
"Last year, neither of us had done many laps in these cars - and none in racing conditions - so we're much better prepared this time. Given that a lot of the regulars will be paired together, I'm hoping we'll qualify well inside the top 10, then work on putting a consistent race together and see what happens from there."
Pretty too is looking forward to a good race in the Young Lions #02 Commodore. "I was surprised how quickly I got up to pace at the Winton test as, we'd only finished the Safari the day prior and going from the Holden Rally Team Jackeroo to the V8 Supercar was what you would call 'chalk and cheese.'
"However, I think it sharpened up my reflexes - particularly mentally - so I'm confident I can give Rick a good shot at the race." Pretty said.
Practice for the VIP Petfoods 500 at Queensland Raceway begins on Friday September 13th, with qualifying and the Top 10 Shoot Out Saturday and the 500k race starts at 1.00pm Sunday.
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Jim Richards! Is this a sign that we will see a Skaife / Richards team at Bathurst? Do we really want to be called a pack of arseholes again!
HRT Names Driver Pairings For Queensland
The Holden Racing Team today revealed its driver line up for the first of the 2002 Endurance races, the VIP Petfoods 500 at Queensland Raceway next week.
Sharing the #1 HRT VX Commodore will be the 2 drivers who currently stand one and two in this year's V8 Supercar Championship, Mark Skaife and Jason Bright, while in the #2 car is 6-time Bathurst winner Jim Richards and long-time HRT driver Tomas Mezera.
HRT General manager Jeff Grech confirmed the line-ups today.
"Should the #1 car be successful, it gives Jason the best opportunity to consolidate 2nd place in the Series, as well as maximise Mark's Championship lead." Grech said today. "They've been driving full time all year and the set up of their two cars has been closer together than ever before over the past few race meetings so it makes for the ideal combination.
"The other consideration is, the Queensland 500 will be a flat-out sprint and given the other leading combinations of Murphy and Todd Kelly, Ambrose and Paul Weel, Lowndes/Crompton etc, then putting Skaife and Bright together is what's needed."
Grech also highlighted the value that Jim Richards and Tomas Mezera have added to the Team. "They're the ideal pairing and their times in practice could well see them challenge in their own right. Jim and Tomas will be right on the pace and should be another strong partnership." Grech concluded.
Skaife and Bright will share the Team's brand new VX Commodore that Bright drove to victory in the last V8 Supercar round at Winton recently, while Mezera and Richards will team up in Skaife's regular chassis.
"It's a sensible Team decision!" Skaife commented about HRT's announcement.
"Given that the Holden Racing Team is striving for Championship one-two, then that's the choice that had to be made, especially considering the opposition in Queensland. There'll be plenty of other number 1 drivers teamed together like Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna, Ingall and Steven Richards and Radisich and Steven Johnson. You have to be able to go with them all day!"
Bright too was in favour of the move: "It makes sense and certainly gives us a good chance as far as our Series aspirations are concerned. It's that time of the year where a number of us are battling for 2nd overall in the Championship and the pressure will be on.
"We had a very worthwhile test at Winton this week (Tuesday September 3rd,)and our seating positions and car balance were very similar so, no major compromises have to be made. All things being equal, we can hopefully achieve our aims in Queensland."
Jim Richards and Tomas Mezera posted very competitive times too at the Holden Racing Team Winton test, but both are taking a conservative approach to the VIP Petfoods 500.
"Look, if we can qualify around 10th to 12th, I'd be quite happy." Said the veteran Richards this week. "Realistically we'd be aiming for a top 5 finish and that's quite possible. Tomas and I are a good fit, our lap times are very similar and at this stage of our careers, we're not having to try and prove ourselves."
For his part, racing with 6-time Bathurst winner Richards is a plus for Mezera.
"I always wanted to race with Jimmy and it almost came about in 1993. This time, it's really happening and I'm very happy about it! For a couple of 'old blokes,' we might surprise a few!
"Where we will struggle a bit is in qualifying as neither of us know how to get the most out of 'green' tyres the way that Skaifey and Jason (Bright) do. But in the race I don't think we'll be too far off the pace." Mezera predicted.
One car that may surprise at Queensland Raceway is the Holden Young Lion entry for Rick Kelly and Nathan Pretty. Kelly has shown consistent pace over the past few rounds as the 19 year-old comes to grips with V8 Supercar racing and has qualified in the top 10 on the last 3 occasions, while Pretty is "fresh" from last week's 6,000k drive in the Australian Safari rally.
Both participated in the Winton test, recording almost identical times and were within a tenth or two of Skaife and Bright in the HRT cars.
"It wouldn't be hard to do better than we did in last year's 500." Kelly pointed out. In last year's VIP Petfoods 500 the pair shared one of the Kmart Commodores, which unfortunately retired on lap 2 with a tail-shaft failure!
"Last year, neither of us had done many laps in these cars - and none in racing conditions - so we're much better prepared this time. Given that a lot of the regulars will be paired together, I'm hoping we'll qualify well inside the top 10, then work on putting a consistent race together and see what happens from there."
Pretty too is looking forward to a good race in the Young Lions #02 Commodore. "I was surprised how quickly I got up to pace at the Winton test as, we'd only finished the Safari the day prior and going from the Holden Rally Team Jackeroo to the V8 Supercar was what you would call 'chalk and cheese.'
"However, I think it sharpened up my reflexes - particularly mentally - so I'm confident I can give Rick a good shot at the race." Pretty said.
Practice for the VIP Petfoods 500 at Queensland Raceway begins on Friday September 13th, with qualifying and the Top 10 Shoot Out Saturday and the 500k race starts at 1.00pm Sunday.
-------------------
Jim Richards! Is this a sign that we will see a Skaife / Richards team at Bathurst? Do we really want to be called a pack of arseholes again!
