Stone Brothers Racing has had a very promising start to the V8 Supercars Abu Dhabi event with IRWIN Racing, SP Tools Racing and Lucky 7 Racing all starting in the top 10 for Races 24, 25 and 26.
The starting positions for the Yas Marina track’s three races are determined by the driver’s three fastest times in Qualifying.
Shane van Gisbergen was the fastest SBR driver and will line up in 3rd on the grid for all three races. Lee Holdsworth will start in 5th, 4th and 9th; and Tim Slade will start in 4th, 8th and 4th.
Here is what the drivers had to say about today:
Lee Holdsworth – Car #4 IRWIN Racing:
“I’m absolutely stoked with getting back in the ten and to be starting all three races in the ten is fantastic. It’s been 11 races since we have qualified up there and it is such a relief.I’m so stoked for my boys and Brad did an awesome job giving me a great car for qualifying.”
“Obviously it puts us in a good place for the races and we should have a good shot at the podium. We haven’t been in a position like this for a very long time and it equals my best starting position for the year.”
“This track is a fantastic track, I love driving it but it’s one of those tracks that you can’t really attack because the tyres go away so quickly because of the heat.”
“I think the race will be really interesting and I think there will be a lot of aggression out there, and there will certainly be maximum attack in the race. There aren’t many people fighting for the Championship so everyone else is really just fighting for the win. I think it will be a hell for leather race.”
Shane van Gisbergen – Car #9 SP Tools Racing:
“Today was good for us and the top three are the same for the three races. So I don’t think the format has spiced things up like they thought it would, although from us back there are a few jumbled up.”
“I think Sandown was a good indication on how the sprint races here will play out. The soft tyres are going off after the first lap or lap and a half, so I think that in the 12 lap races there will be a few people struggling out there.”
“Some people might race hard and some might conserve a little bit even though it’s only 12 laps. A wide track like this will make for some good racing and the breaking zone at turn 8, I think it is, there will be some big passes into there.”
Tim Slade – Car #47 Lucky 7 Racing:
“It’s good to be in the top 10 for all three races although I feel as though I could have got it together a little bit better. We definitely improved the car towards the end and it would have been nice to make that change after the first run to improve that second race qualifying a little bit more.”
“The promising thing is the car was really speedy on the hards in practice and I guess that puts us in good stead for the first race which is on a hard tyre.”
“The new part of the track is good and I prefer it to the shorter track with the corkscrew which we previously ran on. It was extremely slippery in the first practice session, although I guess you expect that being in the middle of the desert, but it is rubbering up as we expected. Overall I’m looking forward to a good weekend of racing.”
Abu Dhabi Qualifying – RESULTS:
Fastest Lap
1 6 Trading Post FPR Ford Will Davison 2:11.7660
2 1 TeamVodafone Jamie Whincup 2:11.8850
3 9 SP Tools Racing Shane Van Gisbergen 2:12.2550
4 47 Lucky 7 Racing Tim Slade 2:12.2630
5 4 Irwin Racing Lee Holdsworth 2:12.4170
6 2 Holden Racing Team Garth Tander 2:12.4860
7 5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford Mark Winterbottom 2:12.5730
8 19 Tekno Autosports Jonathon Webb 2:12.5800
9 888 TeamVodafone Craig Lowndes 2:12.6870
10 22 Holden Racing Team James Courtney 2:12.6880
Second Fastest Lap
1 6 Trading Post FPR Ford Will Davison 2:11.9280
2 1 TeamVodafone Jamie Whincup 2:12.2720
3 9 SP Tools Racing Shane Van Gisbergen 2:12.5240
4 4 Irwin Racing Lee Holdsworth 2:12.5960
5 5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford Mark Winterbottom 2:12.6010
6 2 Holden Racing Team Garth Tander 2:12.6760
7 19 Tekno Autosports Jonathon Webb 2:12.6840
8 47 Lucky 7 Racing Tim Slade 2:12.7480
9 55 The Bottle-O Racing Team David Reynolds 2:12.7780
10 18 Team Norton DJR James Moffat 2:12.8620
Third Fastest Lap
1 6 Trading Post FPR Ford Will Davison 2:12.2410
2 1 TeamVodafone Jamie Whincup 2:12.5990
3 9 SP Tools Racing Shane Van Gisbergen 2:12.6100
4 47 Lucky 7 Racing Tim Slade 2:12.9150
5 18 Team Norton DJR James Moffat 2:12.9190
6 55 The Bottle-O Racing Team David Reynolds 2:12.9520
7 5 Orrcon Steel FPR Ford Mark Winterbottom 2:12.9580
8 2 Holden Racing Team Garth Tander 2:12.9910
9 4 Irwin Racing Lee Holdsworth 2:13.0770
10 15 Kelly Racing Rick Kelly 2:13.1170
Abu Dhabi Practice Combined – RESULTS:
1 1 TeamVodafone Jamie Whincup P2 2:13.6960
2 3 Team Hiflex Tony D’Alberto P2 2:13.8090
3 19 Tekno Autosports Jonathon Webb P2 2:13.8300
4 49 VIP Petfoods Steve Owen P2 2:13.9280
5 91 Tekno Autosports Michael Patrizi P2 2:13.9950
6 17 Dick Johnson Racing Steven Johnson P2 2:14.0180
7 888 TeamVodafone Craig Lowndes P2 2:14.0930
8 12 Dick Johnson Racing Dean Fiore P2 2:14.1790
9 47 Lucky 7 Racing Tim Slade P2 2:14.3660
10 9 SP Tools Racing Shane Van Gisbergen P2 2:14.5740
16 4 Irwin Racing Lee Holdsworth P2 2:15.2880 0:01.5920
