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 20/2/2008
JELD-WEN Motorsport’s James Courtney is out to finish what he started at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in 2007, aiming to bring home the race win that was just out of reach at last year’s 500km event.
Courtney took his maiden V8 Supercar pole position at the Clipsal 500 last year but was unable to hold on for a race win, finishing legs one and two in second and third position. The JELD-WEN Motorsport driver feels he has unfinished business at the 3.22km Adelaide Parklands circuit and is focused on improving on last year’s performance.
Courtney will drive the new look JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon at round one of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, the trademark yellow making way for JELD-WEN’s corporate colours of blue and silver. The JELD-WEN Motorsport livery is not the only new element for Stone Brother Racing this weekend, the Gold Coast-based team also introducing a new driver and new sponsor. Shane van Gisbergen makes his debut for SBR at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in the number-nine BF Ford Falcon which will showcase SBR’s new sponsor SP Tools. The 18 year-old Kiwi rookie has never raced at the Adelaide track and expects the conditions to be tough. As the youngest driver in the field, van Gisbergen hopes that his off-season training pays off, aiming to have the SP Tools Racing Falcon in the front half of the field by the end of the weekend. V8 Supercars will be on track on Friday 22 February at 9:45am for their first practice of the season. Qualifying will follow on Friday afternoon, with two 250km legs on Saturday and Sunday. James Courtney, car #4, JELD-WEN Motorsport
“We have definitely got to finish off what we started at Clipsal last year. “We had good pace but we didn’t come through in the races so everyone feels that there is a bit of unfinished business. “My preparation in the off-season has been challenging with the arrival of a new baby, which kind of takes over, but if anything it’s made me more focused. “It was great to be quickest at Queensland test. It’s a good morale boost for the team and it shows we are heading in the right direction. “Once we get to Clipsal, it’s a new slate. We are not here to win testing; we are here to win races.” Shane van Gisbergen, car #9, SP Tools Racing.
“I expect Clipsal to be hot! That’s all you hear from the other drivers! “I think it’s going to be a great weekend and hopefully we can come up with the goods to have a great start to the season. “I’ve got some data from previous years and done some laps on the Playstation. It seems to be a track that has a bit of everything; high speed corners, low speed corners, chicanes. It’s going to be pretty busy but it’s also going to be awesome. “I’ve been preparing by doing a lot of training; running in long pants and jumpers to get used to the heat and trying to acclimatise. I also do some gym work, mountain biking and squash for a bit of variety. “My fitness is coming along in leaps and bounds so I hope all the work that I have put in really pays off at Clipsal. |
