The Crittenden Automotive Library

SLADE OFF TO A STRONG START IN SYDNEY

Topics: Sydney Telstra 500, Tim Slade

SLADE OFF TO A STRONG START IN SYDNEY

Stone Brothers Racing
December 3, 2010

Wilson Security Racing’s Tim Slade has made a promising start to this weekend’s Sydney Telstra 500 finishing 8th quickest overall in the last practice session of the 2010 season. Running different sets of tyres throughout the two sessions Slade proved to be quick on both old and new rubber while teammates Alex Davison and Shane van Gisbergen opted to stick to old tyres as they worked towards a setup for tomorrow’s qualifying and gruelling 74 lap race on the Olympic Park Street Circuit.

Tim Slade – Driver, Wilson Security Racing Car #47

“It’s difficult when you come to a circuit like this and you don’t get those first two practice sessions, I feel the guys that get to be in all four have a little bit of an advantage because it is still such a new circuit to everyone.

“When I first got out there I was a bit scrappy, but we had a very clear direction on what way to go with the car, focusing on one main problem and not worrying about all the little things here and there and we got on top of it early.

“I didn’t really get the most out of the car as there were yellow flags being waved on a couple of blind corners so when I came around I didn’t know if there would be a car stuck in the fence so I drove pretty cautiously in those areas and consequently probably lost a fair bit of time.

“There is easy time left in me to get out of the car, the car is hooked up. Practice is always hard to know where you’re at with the guys that didn’t run new tyres but today is a good start to the weekend for us, I'm looking forward to qualifying.”

Alex Davison – Driver, IRWIN Racing Car #4

“I am pretty happy with how we went today, we didn’t run green tyres so based on how the car felt it was one of the best Fridays we have had in a long time.

“We have tried a completely different way to setup the car today, it’s similar to what Shane is running which in the past hasn’t paid off but the new chassis is really responding well to it.”

Shane van Gisbergen – Driver, SP Tools Racing Car #9

“The car felt pretty good today, we tried some things for the last session and it was alot better. I didn’t run new tyres so that’s why we don’t look quite as good on the timesheets but it’s a really decent start to the weekend.”

Sydney Telstra 500 – Practice (Combined) RESULTS

1 14 Trading Post Racing/Jason Bright 1:28.1762R
2 33 Fujitsu Racing/Lee Holdsworth 1:28.2721r
3 5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon/Mark Winterbottom 1:28.5822r
4 888 TeamVodafone/Craig Lowndes 1:28.6010r
5 18 Jim Beam Racing/James Courtney 1:28.6473r
6 22 Toll Holden Racing Team/Will Davison 1:28.7247r
7 1 TeamVodafone/Jamie Whincup 1:28.7372r
8 47 Wilson Security Racing/Tim Slade 1:28.8157r
9 19 Dick Johnson Racing/Jonathon Webb 1:28.8907r
10 51 Castrol Edge Racing/Greg Murphy 1:28.9124r
15 4 Irwin Racing/Alex Davison 1:29.3245
16 9 SP Tools Racing/Shane Van Gisbergen 1:29.3667