Pole position hopes hampered by heavy traffic… 2008 winners to start from fourth row

  The TMR Mitsubishi Evo X of Rod Salmon, Damien White and Tony Longhurst has qualified in seventh place this afternoon, and will start from the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow’s WPS Bathurst 12 Hour.

  The Skwirk.com Mitsubishi Lancer was easily the fastest in practice this morning, clocking a 2:28.9sec – more then a second faster than the nearest competitor, and the only car to crack the 2:30sec mark.

  However, this afternoon’s qualifying saw 48 cars jostling for grid position, with Mt Panorama’s racetrack resembling Monday morning rush hour…

  Qualifier White set a bankable time on his first flying lap with a 2min:31.3s, struggling to build warmth into the tyres. But over the hour-long session, White struggled to better the time and failed to get a clear lap without encountering traffic.

  For three separate laps, White was on pole-setting pace after the first split point entering Reid Park, but each time encountered slower traffic across the top of the mountain, losing seconds.

  Said White: “It’s easy to talk it down now, and say the start isn’t important as it is a 12 hour race, but of course we would like to have matched this morning’s performance.”

  “However, while the time was not quick enough over one lap for qualifying, the Skwirk Evo is able to do them consistently for 12 hours – which now needs to be the focus.”

  In 2008’s event, the Skwirk Evo IX started from fourth position on the grid, and was in the lead by Turn Two, so the experienced crew isn’t too concerned by not taking pole.

  Focus now shifts towards Sunday’s main event, and with a strong running car and experienced TMR team, the Skwirk.com Evolution drivers remain confident heading into tomorrow’s race.

2009 WPS BATHURST 12 HOUR STARTING GRID – TOP 10
1    96  J.Koundouris/T.Koundouris/S.Owen     
Superbarn Supermarkets Mitsubishi Lancer RS   2:28.8838*
2    11  B.Morcom/L.Searle/P.Stubber               
Rondo Building Services        BMW 335i   2:30.7202
3    29  T.Quinn/K.Quinn/G.Denyer               
VIP Pet Foods                  Mitsubishi Lancer RS   2:30.8360
4    55  G.Crimp/T.Ricciardello/ S.Kostera               
West Surfing Products          Mitsubishi Lancer RS  2:31.1763
5    34  G.Seton/N.Crompton      
PRO-DUCT Motorsport            Mitsubishi Lancer RS  2:31.2390
6    43  D.Wall/D.Wall/T.Symonds 
Easts Holiday Parks            Mitsubishi Lancer GSR  2:31.2575
7     1  R.Salmon/T.Longhurst/D.White                 
TMR Australia                  Mitsubishi Lancer RS 2:31.3127
8    20  G.Holt/P.Morris/R.Shaw  
Eastern Creek Karts            BMW 335i              2:31.3659
9    12  T.Alford/P.Leemhuis/M.Rose
Donut King                     Holden HSV VY GTS   2:32.2542
10 35  J.Bargwana/S.Knight/B.Jones               
PRO-DUCT Motorsport            Mitsubishi Lancer RS   2:32.9712

Car #1 sets fastest time of weekend in Practice 3

Defending Bathurst 12 Hour champions the only team to crack the 2min.30s barrier

  The TMR-prepped Evo X of Rod Salmon, Damien White and Tony Longhurst has reinforced its dominance in the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour race, clocking the fastest time of the weekend in final practice this morning with a commanding 1.2sec lead over the nearest competitor.

  The Skwirk.com Mitsubishi Lancer was the only car to smash the 2min.30sec barrier in the third practice session, clocking a 2:28.9 and making it the team to beat in this afternoon’s qualifying.

  “Damien’s lap prompted quiet elation in the garage as he clocked the 2:28.9,” said team owner and driver Rod Salmon.

  “The team is absolutely pulling everything together at the right time, and we still think there’s more in the car. With clear laps in qualifying we should see even more improvement.”

  All three drivers were lapping the Mt Panorama circuit with top 10 times by the end of the session, proving the defending champions are well on the pace in the new Evo X. However, the team is keeping its enthusiasm in check before the all-important qualifying session this afternoon.

  “As odd as it may sound, it’s a difficult situation to be in,” said White, who will be in the hot seat this afternoon for qualifying.

  “Naturally, we are stoked with the speed of the Skwirk Evo. However, we must remember it is just practice. Alan Heaphy and the TMR crew are experienced enough to keep the excitement under control.

  “Knowing we have a 1.2sec buffer over the second-quickest car gives us some level of comfort heading into qualifying.”

  The second-quickest car was last year’s pole-sitting Lancer Evo IX of Wall, Wall and Symonds, with the father-son duo of Tony and Klark Quinn with Grant Denyer in third.

PRACTICE 3
1     1  R.Salmon/T.Longhurst/D.White
        TMR Australia                   Mitsubishi Lancer RS      2:28.9174*
2    43  D.Wall/D.Wall/T.Symonds 
Easts Holiday Parks             Mitsubishi Lacer GSR   2:30.1464 
3    29  T.Quinn/K.Quinn/G.Denyer
 VIP Pet Foods                   Mitsubishi Lancer RS   2:30.7425 
4    20  G.Holt/P.Morris/R.Shaw  
Eastern Creek Karts             BMW 335i               2:30.7537 
5    35  J.Bargwana/S.Knight/B.Jones   
PRO-DUCT Motorsport   Mitsubishi Lancer RS   2:31.4148 

Defending champions on the pace in practice

Rod Salmon, Damien White and Tony Longhurst baptise the new Evo X at the first Bathurst 12 Hour practice.

  Car #1 proved its metal in day one of the Bathurst 12 Hour event, placing second-fastest in both practice sessions at Mt Panorama.

  It was the first time the brand new TMR-prepped Evolution X hit the track in anger, and lead driver Rod Salmon was impressed with its debut.

  “The Skwirk Evo X looks razor sharp, and it certainly feels that way too,” said team owner Salmon.

  “We were definitely faster from the get-go, and over four seconds a lap faster than the Evo IX in practice last year.”

  “I only did two laps in the first session, and straight away found ourselves on the pace which is a credit to Alan Heaphy and his TMR crew,” said White.

  Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is running a two-car team this year: the Skwirk car, and another Evo X of Crimp, Ricciardello and Kostura (Car 51).

  “TMR were running three of the four fastest drivers in the field, an awesome position to be in,” said Salmon.

  “It was excellent to see Tony on the pace in his first drive in an Evo around Bathurst.”

  New team member and double Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst was afforded the most practice time in the car, both to get used to its mechanics, and to assess the car’s final setup.

  “I am very pleased to be in this team, they are very professional, and Damien and Rod are more experienced than I realised,” Longhurst admitted.

  “I can see we have as much chance at winning as everyone else.

  “The car is set up beautifully, there’s just a little fine tuning before tomorrow and we’re set.”

  White agreed: “For the second session, Tony tabled his experience and we agreed on a front-end change which gave us better balance across the top of the mountain,” said White.

  White will qualify the car after the third early morning practice tomorrow, and though qualifying ultimately doesn’t matter to the endurance race team, he is determined to get pole position.