Post by HRT on Sept 16, 2009 17:45:22 GMT 9.5
Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright
At the end of the day it was grit and determination along with a ‘never say die’ attitude that enabled Toll Holden Racing Team (HRT) to win the L&H 500 at Phillip Island today (Sunday).
The TeamVodafone outfit of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were in the lead for the majority of the 113-lap race, but had to settle for second following a late charge from HRT’s Garth Tander.
The two battled hard, with a number of nail-biting lead changes, and when all looked lost for Team Red, Tander capitalised on the #888 Falcon’s lack of grip and understeer on the last lap.
Besides driving different marques, there was bugger-all difference between GT and Lowndsie.
Their respective co-drivers in Will Davison and Whincup are battling for the championship; they are both experienced steerers in their own right and they were both driving some of the strongest cars out on the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
It might have been something to do with the L&H 500 being held a day shy of Holden’s 40th anniversary of official involvement in Australian motorsport.
But the championship was not in either’s minds as they challenged and then re-challenged for the win, and GT’s outlook after the race might provide some insight into what gave HRT the edge.
“Bugger his championship, we were going for the win,” Tander quipped.
Davison said he was almost resigned to him and Tander finishing the prelude to Bathurst in second.
“We’d had a little chat and said ‘oh well, second’s been a great day and we’ll use this as motivation for Bathurst,” he said.
“(But) in this sport you learn never to give up, that’s for sure.
“I had all the faith in the world to just sit there and watch GT do what he does best.
“I nearly thought second was it, but those last three laps were pretty exciting and he did an unbelievable job.
“It’s a very good feeling to win this one; it feels very special.”
The irony of the situation was not lost on Lowndes. A late-race error by Whincup cost him and Lowndes the win last year to none other than Tander.
“Now I know how Jamie feels, he was in the same position last year and with the same team,” Lowndesie said.
Tander revealed he was running low on fuel with three laps to go.
“They said to me on the radio at the start of the last lap ‘just go as hard as you can and see what happens’,” he said.
“I thought Lowndesie was coming back to us a little bit whilst I was in that ‘saving the fuel’ period.
“I didn’t know what was going on, but I thought ‘oh he’s sliding around a bit and couldn’t really see anything else’ so I wondered whether he was a bit low on fuel as well.”
Tander described the race as “amazing” and joked the team will go out and “help the economy” tonight.
“You go 500-kays absolutely flat out and I think there was pretty much less than two seconds covering (the) two cars all race.
“It’s a fantastic result and I’m sure it looked good on TV, that one,” GT said.
The Ford Performance Racing combo of Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards capped off the podium placegetters in third, while Warren Luff and Jonathon Webb in the #18 Jim Beam Racing Falcon were the highest finishing pair of the non-championship drivers in sixth.
L&H 500 top 10
Will Davison/Garth Tander Commodore
Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes Falcon
Mark Winterbottom/ Steve Richards Falcon
Steve Johnson/ James Courtney Falcon
Rick Kelly/Todd Kelly Commodore
Warren Luff/Jonathon Webb Falcon
Russell Ingall/Tim Slade Commodore
Paul Dumbrell/Craig Baird Commodore
Dean Canto/Luke Youlden Falcon
Shane van Gisbergen/Alex Davison Falcon
Championship top six
Jamie Whincup Falcon 2254
Will Davison Commodore 2083
Garth Tander Commodore 1738
Craig Lowndes Falcon 1725
Steve Johnson Falcon 1590
Mark Winterbottom Falcon 1574
James Courtney Falcon 1370
Russell Ingall Commodore 1364
Rick Kelly Commodore 1336
Lee Holdsworth Commodore 1310
At the end of the day it was grit and determination along with a ‘never say die’ attitude that enabled Toll Holden Racing Team (HRT) to win the L&H 500 at Phillip Island today (Sunday).
The TeamVodafone outfit of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were in the lead for the majority of the 113-lap race, but had to settle for second following a late charge from HRT’s Garth Tander.
The two battled hard, with a number of nail-biting lead changes, and when all looked lost for Team Red, Tander capitalised on the #888 Falcon’s lack of grip and understeer on the last lap.
Besides driving different marques, there was bugger-all difference between GT and Lowndsie.
Their respective co-drivers in Will Davison and Whincup are battling for the championship; they are both experienced steerers in their own right and they were both driving some of the strongest cars out on the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
It might have been something to do with the L&H 500 being held a day shy of Holden’s 40th anniversary of official involvement in Australian motorsport.
But the championship was not in either’s minds as they challenged and then re-challenged for the win, and GT’s outlook after the race might provide some insight into what gave HRT the edge.
“Bugger his championship, we were going for the win,” Tander quipped.
Davison said he was almost resigned to him and Tander finishing the prelude to Bathurst in second.
“We’d had a little chat and said ‘oh well, second’s been a great day and we’ll use this as motivation for Bathurst,” he said.
“(But) in this sport you learn never to give up, that’s for sure.
“I had all the faith in the world to just sit there and watch GT do what he does best.
“I nearly thought second was it, but those last three laps were pretty exciting and he did an unbelievable job.
“It’s a very good feeling to win this one; it feels very special.”
The irony of the situation was not lost on Lowndes. A late-race error by Whincup cost him and Lowndes the win last year to none other than Tander.
“Now I know how Jamie feels, he was in the same position last year and with the same team,” Lowndesie said.
Tander revealed he was running low on fuel with three laps to go.
“They said to me on the radio at the start of the last lap ‘just go as hard as you can and see what happens’,” he said.
“I thought Lowndesie was coming back to us a little bit whilst I was in that ‘saving the fuel’ period.
“I didn’t know what was going on, but I thought ‘oh he’s sliding around a bit and couldn’t really see anything else’ so I wondered whether he was a bit low on fuel as well.”
Tander described the race as “amazing” and joked the team will go out and “help the economy” tonight.
“You go 500-kays absolutely flat out and I think there was pretty much less than two seconds covering (the) two cars all race.
“It’s a fantastic result and I’m sure it looked good on TV, that one,” GT said.
The Ford Performance Racing combo of Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards capped off the podium placegetters in third, while Warren Luff and Jonathon Webb in the #18 Jim Beam Racing Falcon were the highest finishing pair of the non-championship drivers in sixth.
L&H 500 top 10
Will Davison/Garth Tander Commodore
Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes Falcon
Mark Winterbottom/ Steve Richards Falcon
Steve Johnson/ James Courtney Falcon
Rick Kelly/Todd Kelly Commodore
Warren Luff/Jonathon Webb Falcon
Russell Ingall/Tim Slade Commodore
Paul Dumbrell/Craig Baird Commodore
Dean Canto/Luke Youlden Falcon
Shane van Gisbergen/Alex Davison Falcon
Championship top six
Jamie Whincup Falcon 2254
Will Davison Commodore 2083
Garth Tander Commodore 1738
Craig Lowndes Falcon 1725
Steve Johnson Falcon 1590
Mark Winterbottom Falcon 1574
James Courtney Falcon 1370
Russell Ingall Commodore 1364
Rick Kelly Commodore 1336
Lee Holdsworth Commodore 1310
www.v8supercars.com.au/content/hero_news/september_2009/its_never_say_die_at_hrt/