In-car data screens are like a sixth-sense to V8 Supercar drivers but Lockwood Racing’s Fabian Coulthard had to do without at Sydney Motorsport Park today.
With just tenths-of-a-second influencing how a race pans out, drivers rely on the data to tell them when to push. Coulthard’s screen, however, did not work from lap one but he did not let it slow him down, launching off the grid from tenth to seventh by Turn Two.
He was then stuck behind David Reynolds for much of the race, before making the pass in the final stint to finish sixth.
The Season of Endurance gets underway at the next V8 Supercar round at Sandown Motor Raceway from September 14-16.
Fabian Coulthard
Lockwood Racing
“My start was unreal! I was up to fifth or sixth by Turn Two. That was part of our success for the race but, relative to yesterday, we had really good speed and the car was good on its tyres. I was really happy with how it was.
“The only thing from me is I wasn’t getting any information back from the car in terms of sector times so I had to drive by feel and I think I did a pretty good job.
“In the first stint we were quicker than Reynolds but not quick enough to get past so I conserved fuel. In the second I made an error and had to pass him twice. If not for that we would have been a bit further up but it’s been a good day. The boys should be happy.”
Sydney Motorsport Park 360 – V8 Supercar C’ship Races 18&19
SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK
V8 SUPERCARS – Qualifying Race 19
01 Craig Lowndes, TeamVodafone, 1:29.2493R
02 Jamie Whincup, TeamVodafone, +0.1328
03 Jason Bright, Team BOC, +0.1568
04 Mark Winterbottom, Orrcon Steel FPR Ford, +0.3341
05 Will Davison, Trading Post FPR Ford, +0.3547
06 Michael Caruso, Fujitsu Racing, +0.4494
07 Garth Tander, Holden Racing Team, +0.5355
08 Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, +0.5502
09 David Reynolds, The Bottle-O Racing Team, +0.5885
10 Fabian Coulthard, Lockwood Racing, +0.5926
Sydney Motorsport Park 360 – V8 Supercar C’ship Races 18&19
SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK
V8 SUPERCARS – Race 19
01 Jamie Whincup, TeamVodafone
02 Craig Lowndes, TeamVodafone
03 Mark Winterbottom, Orrcon Steel FPR Ford
04 Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing
05 Will Davison, Trading Post FPR Ford
06 Fabian Coulthard, Lockwood Racing
07 David Reynolds, The Bottle-O Racing Team
08 Jason Bright, Team BOC
09 Garth Tander, Holden Racing Team
10 James Courtney, Holden Racing Team