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This website is now dedicated to covering the Black Bullets. Current Black Bullets news is now provided on iSportz » with past news archived here for your continued reference.
EVENT DETAILS:
Round 14
NRMA Motoring and Services Grand Finale
Oran Park, NSW
4th – 7th December, 2008
Qualifying for Fabian ended prematurely after a lock up caused him to run off the track at turn 1, causing the session to be red flagged. Although there was little damage to the car regulations prevented any further participation in qualifying, the team having to settle for yet another start outside the top 20 in position 24.
A steady effort from driver Fabian Coulthard in race 1 saw him progress through the field into 18th by the completion of all the compulsory pit stops, with the teams pit stop time of less than 3.3 seconds being one of the fastest in the whole of pit lane.
Starting race 2 from 18th Fabian produced yet another strong, consistent performance worthy of the top ten to gain 8 positions and hold off a very determined Caruso in the final laps and keep 10th position. Fabian said of the car, "I'm very happy with the car, it's so much better than yesterday."
The rain which had been threatening all weekend finally arrived at the end of race 2 but had well and truly eased by the start of a dry race 3. After pitting early for tyres, of which there was not a great selection, a brake lock up for Ingall into turn one gave Fabian the opportunity to squeeze past into 7th which would be his highest position for the race. A battle between Coulthard, Holdsworth, Caruso and Bright saw a number of position changes, with Coulthard bringing the car home in 8th to give him 9th overall for the round.
After top ten finishes at Hamilton, Perth, Queensland, Bathurst, Tasmania and now Oran Park, the team at PCR have achieved a total of 6 top ten round finishes for the season and on 1823 points lead the charge of the single car teams with D'Alberto being their closest competitor on 890 points.
The team goal at the start of season 2008 was to finish inside the top 50%, a goal which has been well within their sights based on previous results this season. Today the team has that goal well and truly within their grasp finishing 13th in the championship and showing the V8 world that the team at PCR should not be underestimated come 2009.
DRIVER #111 – Fabian Coulthard:
"Another top ten finish and the first Kiwi home. No seriously, after a disappointing qualifying, to say the least, it was good to move through the field in the 1st and 2nd race and to still have a straight car for a hard and fast race in the 3rd."
"We didn't have a great selection of tyres for the third after a massive lock up in qualifying, and then struggled with what we had after I locked the left front going into turn one halfway through the race."
"The surface felt different to the past years which threw me a little at the start of the weekend but we got there in the end."
TEAM PRINCIPAL - Paul Cruickshank:
"It's very pleasing to achieve the goals that we set for this year. I had expected that we would have had a slower start and then built up as the season progressed but in reality it was pleasing that we came out of the blocks well and maintained that momentum. We are now already working on next year and are well advanced with the preparations for running the new car. Fabian has now got one full year behind him and that experience will ensure that next year we improve our consistency in qualifying. We have high expectations for 2009 and whilst we will have a short break it's now all about next year. I would also like to thank all our supporters and sponsors and wish them a safe and enjoyable Christmas."
OVERALL ROUND RESULTS:
1. Garth Tander 2. Craig Lowndes 3. Rick Kelly 4. Russell Ingall 5. James Courtney 6. Stephen Richards 7. Jason Bright 8. Mark Caruso 9. Fabian Coulthard 10. Paul Morris
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Jamie Whincup 3332 2. Mark Winterbottom 3079 3. Garth Tander 3048 4. Craig Lowndes 2871 5. Will Davison 2495 6. James Courtney 2446 7. Rick Kelly 2430 8. Stephen Richards 2416 9. Russell Ingall 2236 10. Steven Johnson 2163 13. Fabian Coulthard 1823
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The views, opinions and content displayed on this webpage are not necessarily those of Pacific Motorsport Limited. Pacific Motorsport Limited takes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.
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