New kid on the block Courtney
ready to impress at V8 Supercar opener in Adelaide
The new kid on the block is about
to get a real taste of V8
action when international star James Courtney makes a much
anticipated first full-time appearance on the V8 Supercar
Championship Series in Adelaide next week.
The Clipsal 500 is one of the flagships of the V8 Supercar
Championship Series with a crowd of more than 260,000 people
expected over the weekend. It is also the chance for every team to
draw a line in the sand and announce their intentions for the
year.
Courtney�s much talked about return to Australia after more than
a decade of racing overseas � and he�s only 25 � happens at
the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, one of the fiercest races in the
sport because of its extreme pressure and even more extreme
conditions.
This year it is also the first time they hit the track in anger.
In recent years they have had the chance to iron out any wrinkles
at the non-Championship Australian Grand Prix but this year will
not due to the Commonwealth Games pushing back the Melbourne race.
After World Championships in Karts and drives in Formula One,
Courtney will no doubt be stung by the potential 55 degree cabin
temperatures and the intense racing although his class prevailed
in his only two starts in a V8 Supercar last year.
In his V8 Supercar debut Courtney and veteran racer Jim Richards
finished 11th at Sandown and were on the pace at Bathurst before a
Courtney mistake and a subsequent brush against the wall ended
their campaign for the Holden Racing Team.
Courtney steps on to centre stage to replace one of the best
rookies in the history of V8 Supercars. Marcos Ambrose was able to
step straight onto the pace in his debut season in 2001 and won
his first of two Championships just three years later.
They are massive shoes to fill but ones that many believe he can.
The conjecture is not just if he can cut it but when.
�I�m really looking forward to starting the season,� said
Courtney.
�It�s been a long summer and everything is coming together
now; I�m really happy with how the Jeld-Wen Motorsport Falcon
has turned out, really nice and aggressive, and I�ve had plenty
of time to get to know everyone in the team so that�s been
great.
�The SBR boys have put in a lot of hard work building the new
car, just as I have been training hard and preparing myself for
the new season, now we all just want to get out there.�
LOWNDES HISTORY UP FOR AUCTION
Craig
Lowndes' personal team uniforms and promotional clothing from his
'past' are now up for grabs on a new "Auction" feature
of his official website, craiglowndes.com.
Launched
just ahead of the 2006 season-opener in Adelaide, the new
"Auction" feature of craiglowndes.com offers Lowndes
fans, V8 Supercar memorabilia buffs and collectors alike the
chance to get hold of items from Craig's personal collection.
"All
of the items being auctioned on my website are my own actual
uniform items, or promotional clothing, or team uniform bags, so
you can be sure they're the genuine article," Craig Lowndes
said.
"There's
so much stuff that you just can't keep everything . at least this
way I know these items will go to genuine fans."
Many
of the items progressively being auctioned are unique - there is
only one of them. And each is signed by Craig for authenticity.
Initially,
two items from Craig's wardrobe are being offered for auction, and
each is offered without a Reserve price:
-
Craig's own Mobil Holden Race Team kit bag, dark blue, good
condition, autographed by Craig
-
Craig's own Clipsal 500 promotional shirt (size
14) from 2002, autographed by Craig and Natalie Lowndes
Bidding
for both is open until Sunday night 2 April at
8.30pm
.
Every
couple of weeks, another two items will go up for auction .
DJR
SIGNS ALEX DAVISON
Alex
Davison will contest the Sandown and Bathurst endurance
events for Dick Johnson Racing this year.
The former Holden and now Carrera Cup racer has jumped the fence
to join younger brother Will in the Ford-equipped DJR squad for
the 2006 long-distance races.
"Alex is a great pick-up for the team, he's had a season of
V8 Supercar experience already and he's doing a whole year of
Carrera Cup, so he'll be race ready for us," Dick Johnson
said.
"There's no question about his talent or his commitment.it
runs in the family."
Davison will have his first test with DJR this Thursday (tomorrow)
at Queensland Raceway.
"I can't wait to get back into a V8 Supercar, and I am very
thankful to DJR for the chance," Alex Davison said.
"Last season was tough because of the environment I was in
but my experience with DJR has been totally different . it is an
incredibly professional operation with tremendous resources, this
is a great opportunity and I am going to make the most of
it."
DJR has yet to finalise its driver line-up for the 500 kilometre
Sandown and 1000 kilometre Bathurst races, Alex unsure whether he
will share with team regulars Steve Johnson or brother Will, or
another as-yet-to-be-named driver.
"If they know they haven't told me!" the 26 year-old
said.
Alex Davison is contesting the 2006 Carrera Cup series in a
Glenfords Porsche 911 GT3.
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