SBR embark on first Sandown sprint
JELD-WEN Motorsport’s James Courtney is looking forward to his first sprint round at Sandown International Motor Raceway this weekend, the Gold Coast-based driver predicting a whole different ball game to the previous 500km events at the Victorian circuit.
Courtney, who made his V8 Supercar debut at Sandown in 2005, will make his fourth start at the 3.1km circuit this weekend, which will play host to round five of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
“Sandown is going to be a whole different ball game as a sprint round rather than an endurance event. Said Courtney.
“I haven’t raced at a Sandown sprint round and there will be a few guys in the same situation as me so I’m sure we will see a lot of different approaches about how to attack the races.
“Sandown really suits the SBR cars with the short bumpy corners. We were quickest in practice last year and just got pipped in the shootout for pole.”
Courtney’s team-mate, SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, is another in a long list of V8 Supercar drivers that will embark on their first Sandown sprint round.
Van Gisbergen however is happy to be back on familiar territory this weekend after debuting at a string of new circuits in recent rounds.
“Sandown is the first track this year that I’ve raced on before. He said.
The young Kiwi driver made his second V8 Supercar start at Sandown last year and is fast approaching 12 months in the V8 Supercar scene.
“Last year was an endurance race and we were looking better towards the end. I think we set the fifth fastest lap of the race so we were definitely getting the hang of it.
“I think Sandown will be good as a sprint round. It’s a track with medium grip and there are a couple of good passing opportunities into turn one and down the end of the back straight. It’s tight in pit lane so it will be touch and go on strategy but it’s going to be exciting.”
Stone Brothers Racing’s second test at Queensland Raceway last week has both Courtney and van Gisbergen in a positive frame of mind.
Courtney is confident that gains made at the test will translate into speed at up-coming events: “We had a great test last week; the gains we found should carry over to Sandown and future rounds.”
Van Gisbergen is feeling at his most comfortable in the SP Tools Racing Falcon after five race meetings with the team: “We found some improvements in the SP Tools Racing Falcon at testing and I found a bit in myself too. We can put the extra half-hour practice session on Saturday to good use, really settle in and get into it.”
Round five of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, the Midas 400, will take place over the long weekend, with racing on Monday’s Queen’s Birthday holiday.
