Jim Beam Racing: Day One - Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
Day One - Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
It was another strong performance in practice for both Jim Beam Racing entries at Mount Panorama today.
With three practice sessions on todays card, all four drivers got valuable track time for the first time this year.
The respect that The Mountain demands had all four drivers heading across the top of the mountain with a combination of sheer thrill and unspoken fear. But as each of the boys spent more time behind the wheel, the familiarity with that respect for the Mountain slowly returned.
Johnson and Courtney ended up posting the third fastest time for the practice sessions after Steven got the chance to run in new tyres posted a 2.08.02 behind Lowndes/Whincup (fastest for the day) and Bargwanna/Noske. At the post practice press confernece both Johnson and Courtney agreed that the car was not that comfortable to drive. One of the consequences of finishing every Race this year is that you lack a good bank of practice tyres. In an attempt to determine if # 17's imbalance was caused by either set up or tyres, The Team sent Johnson out at the closing stage of the third practice session on green tyres only to learn that the car set up could be the problem. What was pleasing though is that Johnson moved quickly up the totem pole with the time only seven tenths out from top spot.
"We know what we need to do to the car and that will happen before qualifying" said Johnson after practice.
"I agree with Steve that the car was not fantastic but there are 4 days to go and anything can happen at Bathurst" said Courtney.
With three practice sessions on todays card, all four drivers got valuable track time for the first time this year.
The respect that The Mountain demands had all four drivers heading across the top of the mountain with a combination of sheer thrill and unspoken fear. But as each of the boys spent more time behind the wheel, the familiarity with that respect for the Mountain slowly returned.
Johnson and Courtney ended up posting the third fastest time for the practice sessions after Steven got the chance to run in new tyres posted a 2.08.02 behind Lowndes/Whincup (fastest for the day) and Bargwanna/Noske. At the post practice press confernece both Johnson and Courtney agreed that the car was not that comfortable to drive. One of the consequences of finishing every Race this year is that you lack a good bank of practice tyres. In an attempt to determine if # 17's imbalance was caused by either set up or tyres, The Team sent Johnson out at the closing stage of the third practice session on green tyres only to learn that the car set up could be the problem. What was pleasing though is that Johnson moved quickly up the totem pole with the time only seven tenths out from top spot.
"We know what we need to do to the car and that will happen before qualifying" said Johnson after practice.
"I agree with Steve that the car was not fantastic but there are 4 days to go and anything can happen at Bathurst" said Courtney.
Meanwhile Warren Luff and Jonathon Webb ended up with the 8th fastest time continuing their good form from Phillip Island. With the same issue with tyres, Luff got the chance to run greens on #18 to get a feel for the challenging Bathurst circuit.
"The car was good. It had pace and it felt reasonably comfortable and both Jon and I had some good runs out there today" said a confident Luff after practice.
But there was another DJR car out on track today with Grant Denyer taking out his Crimsafe Ford for his return to Bathurst after a long two years. There were two practice sessions in the Fujitsu Development Series and Denyer was pretty strong in both posting a 2.11.82 for the day.
'The car was good around here and while it was only two short stints in the car, everything seems to be holding together" said Denyer.
Qualifying for the Develpoment Series starts at 8.55am with Race 1 at 1.15pm
Qualifying for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 commences at 2.10 (AEDST) tomorrow.