Orrcon Steel Racing is all set for another action packed V8 Supercars round this weekend at Phillip Island

Orrcon Steel Ford Performance Racing (FPR) are all set for what is forecast to be a breezy Phillip Island 300 this weekend for the latest round of the International V8 Supercars Championship.

After handing the reins over to their endurance co-drivers for an early morning practice this morning, Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom and Will Davison jumped in the driver’s seat for two 20-minute practice sessions this afternoon.

Davison finished quickest of the pair, 10th for the combined session times while Winterbottom finished 14th quickest with his final, flying lap not counting on the official timesheets due to a red flag inside the final sector of his flyer.

“It was a pretty cold and tricky day out there and we saw a lot of red flags which always upsets the rhythm,” commented Frosty.

“We’ve still got one more practice session tomorrow morning to fine tune a few things before qualifying in the afternoon so I’m confident we’ll be back up  at the pointy end of the field come tomorrow’s race.”

Tomorrow will see a 30-minute qualifying session in the morning followed by a brief 20-minute Qualifying session after lunch. Drivers then hit the track at 4.05pm for the weekend’s first race at 140km in length.

Saturday, May 19:
Practice 4: 10.10am – 10.40am
Qualifying for Race 10: 1.25pm – 1.45pm
Race 10: 4.05pm – 5.15pm (32 laps/140km)

V8 Supercars: Phillip Island 300 Practice 3 Results

1. #55 David Reynolds  1:33.8273
2. #7 Todd Kelly  1:33.9882
3. #8 Jason Bright  1:34.0943
4. #1 Jamie Whincup  1:34.1962
5. #6 Will Davison  1:34.3350
6. #34 Michael Caruso  1:34.3902
7. #17 Steve Johnson  1:34.4894
8. #888 Craig Lowndes  1:34.5220
9. #12 Dean Fiore  1:34.5758
10. #5 Mark Winterbottom 1:34.6133

V8 Supercars: Phillip Island 300 Practice 2 Results

1. #1 Jamie Whincup  1:33.2866
2. #888 Craig Lowndes  1:33.3172
3. #8 Jason Bright  1:33.8526
4. #55 David Reynolds  1:34.0512
5. #51 Greg Murphy  1:34.1477
6. #2 Garth Tander  1:34.1804
7. #34 Michael Caruso  1:34.2933
8. #66 Russell Ingall  1:34.3325
9. #7 Todd Kelly  1:34.4115
10. #9 Shane van Gisbergen 1:34.6026
11. #5 Mark Winterbottom 1:34.666
14. #6 Will Davison !:34.790

V8 Supercars: Phillip Island 300 Practice 1 Results: Co-drivers/Lower 50% of grid

1. #1 Paul Dumbrell    1:33.9072
2. #19 Jonathan Webb    1:34.1729
3. #66 Russell Ingall/Christian Klien  1:34.5393
4. #34 Greg Ritter    1:34.5960
5. #55 Dean Canto    1:34.7255
6. #8 Jason Bright    1:34.7711
7. #6 John McIntyre    1:34.7904
8. #2 Nick Percat/Cameron McConville 1:34.8187
9. #47 Andrew Thompson   1:34.8975
10. #91 Michael Patrizi    1:34.9009

V8 Supercars: Phillip Island 300 Practice 0 Results: Co-drivers only

1. #55 Dean Canto  1:35.0472
2. #5 Steven Richards  1:35.0778
3. #888 Paul Dumbrell  1:35.0954
4. #15 David Russell  1:35.0966
5. #9 Luke Youlden  1:35.3744
6. #6 John McIntyre  1:35.3946
7. #2 Nick Percat  1:35.4593
8. #22 Cameron McConville 1:35.5740
9. #14 David Besnard  1:35.5814
10. #18 Alex Davison  1:35.7244

The FPR boys took a clean sweep of wins in Perth last round

Orrcon Steel Racing heads to Phillip Island this weekend as Ford Performance Racing (FPR) look to continue their impressive form in the 2012 International V8 Supercars Championship.

Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom won Saturday’s race at Barbagallo Raceway less than two weeks ago before stepping onto all three podiums for the weekend.

“There’s no reason why the winning streak can’t continue for our team,” commented Frosty.

“We’re back on the hard tyre and we’ve got a sprint race format which are all things that are really suiting the Orrcon Steel FPR Ford at the moment.”

Team-mate Will Davison capped off a winning weekend for the Orrcon Steel-sponsored FPR team in Perth winning Sunday’s two races and will be looking to take his winning form to Phillip Island.

“We had pole at Phillip Island last year and I enjoy racing there, though we know quite a few other drivers are very strong there and will challenge for the win,” commented Davison.

“We have to be proud of the start we’ve had this year but keep the intensity up and keep raising the bar.”

Will Davison will be looking to reclaim his Championship lead back from Jamie Whincup in Phillip Island

This weekend’s Phillip Island 300 will be the first official appearance for endurance co-drivers who will participate in a special ‘Practice 0’ – a 30-minute session dedicated to co-driver track time.

Running as an endurance round for the last four years the Phillip Island race returns to a sprint format covering 300 kilometers of racing action.

Saturday’s race will cover 140-kilometres (32 laps), while Sunday’s will be over 200-kilometres (45 laps). Sunday’s race will be the longest single driver race at Phillip Island since 2003.

The event doubles as a special occasion for Frosty who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Sunday May 20 when he lines up for Race 11 of the V8 Supercars Championship.

Frosty has won here just once before (2006) and achieved one pole position in 2009.

PHILLIP ISLAND 300 DETAILS:
Circuit: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Location: Phillip Island, VIC
Circuit Length: 4.445km
Race Format:
Friday: 2 x 30min & 2 x 20min practice sessions
Saturday: 1 x 30min practice, 1 x 20min qualifying & 1 x 32 lap race
Sunday: 1 x 30min practice, 1 x 20min qualifying & 1 x 45 lap race
Tyres: Hard Tyres
2011 Pole Winner: Will Davison/Luke Youlden
2011 Race Winner: Craig Lowndes/Mark Skaife

2012 V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 9 OF 29 RACES

1. Jamie Whincup – 1095
2. Will Davison – 1066
3. Mark Winterbottom – 935
4. Craig Lowndes – 779
5. Lee Holdsworth – 737
6. Shane van Gisbergen – 695
7. Fabian Coulthard – 694
8. Tim Slade – 681
9. Garth Tander – 618
10. Rick Kelly – 571

TEAM STEEL DRIVER STATS:

MARK WINTERBOTTOM – #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon
Current Championship Position: 3rd (- 160 points from leader)
2011 Qualifying (Race 2): 4th
2011 Race: 17th (with Steve Richards)
Best Phillip Island Qualifying: 1st (2009 L&H500)
Best Phillip Island Race Result: 1st (2006)

WILL DAVISON – #6 Trading Post FPR Falcon
Current Championship Position: 2nd (-29 points from leader)
2011 Qualifying (Race 1): 1st
2011 Race: 3rd (with Luke Youlden)
Best Phillip Island Qualifying: 1st (2011 L&H500)
Best Phillip Island Race Result: 1st (2009 L&H500)

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
The times below are in AEST

Friday, May 18:
Practice 0: 11.40am – 12.10pm (Co-drivers only)
Practice 1: 1.10pm – 1.40pm (Lower 50% of grid only)

Practice 2: 2.20pm – 2.40pm (All)
Practice 3: 2.55pm – 3.15pm (All)

Saturday, May 19:
Practice 4: 10.10am – 10.40am
Qualifying Race 10: 1.25pm – 1.45pm
Race 10: 4.05pm – 5.15pm (32 laps/140km)

Sunday, May 20:
Practice 5: 10.05am – 10.35am
Qualifying Race 11: 1.00pm – 1.20pm
Race 11: 3.40pm – 5.15pm (45 laps/200km)

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Times subject to amendment, please check local guides:

Seven Network & 7Mate

Saturday, May 19:
12.00pm – 3.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Perth) 7Mate
1.30pm – 5.00pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Adelaide) 7Mate
2.00pm – 5.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Sydney, Brisbane) Channel 7
2.00pm – 5.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Melbourne) 7Mate

Sunday, May 20:
12.00pm – 3.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Perth) 7Mate
1.30pm – 5.00pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Adelaide) 7Mate
2.00pm – 5.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Sydney, Brisbane) Channel 7
2.00pm – 5.30pm Qualifying & Race 10 (Melbourne) 7Mate

WHERE TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ORRCON STEEL RACING – FOLLOW
US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER:
WEB: www.orrconsteelracing.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/OrrconSteelRacing
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/OrrconRacing

Additional Sources:
FPR Web: www.fpr.com.au
FPR Facebook: www.facebook.com/FordPerformanceRacing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FPR_Australia
Mark Winterbottom Twitter: www.twitter.com/mwinterbottom
Will Davison Twitter: www.twitter.com/will_davison
V8 Supercars Website: www.v8supercars.com.au
V8 Supercars Facebook: www.facebook.com/V8Supercars
V8 Supercars Twitter: www.twitter.com/V8Supercars

Teammates Frosty and Will celebrate another dominant display in 2012

Orrcon Steel sponsored Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has come up trumps  winning all three races here at Barbagallo Raceway for the Tradingpost Perth Challenge – Round 4 of the V8 Supercars Championship.

Will Davison backed-up Mark Winterbottom’s win on Saturday by taking a clean sweep of wins on Sunday to make it a three-from-three for the weekend for the Orrcon Steel-backed FPR team.

Frosty’s efforts saw him stand on all three podiums this weekend as he closed the gap to current Championship leader Jamie Whincup.

This weekend’s event proved a pure spectacle for racing fans with the mixed tyre-compound, race format spicing-up proceedings and producing one of the greatest shows in V8 Supercars history. With Davison striding ahead on the soft tyre after an early pitstop in race nine due to a safety car, Winterbottom and Whincup began hunting him down as the soft tyre degraded late in the race.

With a lap remaining Whincup was sandwiched by Davison and Winterbottom as the trio traded paint for the entire 2.42km lap. Holding on with all his will, Davison turned the final bend in front as Winterbottom dived down the inside of Whincup to claim second place by mere inches as the duo crossed 1-2 to the resounding roar of an ecstatic FPR team.

“That last lap is what the sport is all about.,” commented Frosty.

Frosty finished on the podium for all three races at Barbagallo including a win on Saturday

“Even though I finished second that’s one of the best races I’ve been involved with and it’s a great feeling to pass a guy on the last corner of a race to give your team a 1-2 finish.

Davison bounced back from Saturday’s disappointing result to win both of Sunday’s races and arguably one of the most exciting last lap battles in recent V8 Supercars history to secure FPR it’s third 1-2 finish this year.

“To have scored two wins today after yesterday’s disappointment was a great feeling. Frosty proved yesterday the car is very quick around here and after qualifying this morning I knew we had the right package here in Perth,” said Davison.

“This track was absolutely perfect for the mixed tyre format and that was proven in today’s final race, which was an awesome for the fans here in Perth and across the world on TV.”

The next round of V8 Supercars action takes crews to Melbourne for the Phillip Island 300 – May 18-20.

2012 Championship Standings

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VIDEO: Check out Orrcon Steel Racing’s review of the Tradingpost Perth Challenge round Click HERE

TIPPING: Join the Orrcon Steel V8 Supercars 2012 Tipping Comp! Click HERE

WEBSITE: Stay tuned for all the action from Round 4 of the V8 Supercars Championship,  Tradingpost Perth Challenge, right here at www.orrconsteelracing.com

SOCIAL MEDIA: Plus, stay up-to-date with instant racing news at our FACEBOOK page and follow us on TWITTER for all the action from Team Steel!

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Frosty climbs to the top step of the podium for a second consecutive time

After running second to Whincup for the opening half of the 50-lap race the Orrcon Steel FPR Ford came to life thanks to a set of soft tyres, a determined driver and a super pitstop from the Orrcon Steel Racing crew.

“It’s great to pick up a win here considering how ordinary we were at the track just 12 months ago,” commented Frosty.

“The guys did a great job today and to roll out of the truck with the base setup we’ve had all year and win by over three seconds is really positive.”

The victory means Frosty goes back-to-back after his win in the previous V8 Supercars race in Hamilton and puts him equal with Todd Kelly on the all-time V8 Supercars winners list in 14th – just one win away from the great Jim Richards tally.

Orrcon Steel FPR team-mate Will Davison had a less fortunate day after being involved in a racing incident on the final turn of lap 1 when he was hit from behind by Shane van Gisbergen.

Frosty dominated to win by over three seconds

“Today certainly wasn’t our day but I have to give a huge wrap to my guys who got me back out there after breaking the suspension on lap 1,” commented Davison.

“The team rallied together to get us back on track and while it’s only 20 points, that could mean a lot come the end of the year.”

Tim Edwards – FPR Team Principal said:
“These rounds where we struggled at last year we come in pretty nervous and we were pretty apprehensive heading to Perth this weekend. We struggled here a lot last year and to get the result today really eases the nerves but there are still two races tomorrow left to win. We’re obviously disappointed with what happened to Will but for the guys to bring him in and change the front suspension and bars etc and get him back out to the finish is a huge effort. He picked up 20 points for finishing the race and those 20 points, come Sydney, could be extremely valuable.

RACE SCHEDULE
Sunday, May 6:
Qualifying Race 8: 9.25am – 9.40am
Qualifying Race 9: 9.50am – 10.05am
Race: 11.15am – 12.15pm
Race: 2.05pm – 3.15pm

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Sun 6 May – 7 Network
13.00 to 17.30pm Qualifying & Race 7 AEST
*check local guides

The new walk bridge will bring the fans closer to the action than ever before at Barbagallo

The Barbagallo Raceway facility has undergone a major facelift over the last six months as crews prepare to embark on the West Australian racing precinct for the latest round of V8 Supercars action this weekend.

Orrcon Steel has played a major part in the refurbishment with the company’s steel being used to build one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzles for all racing fans.

The steel was used to manufacturer the pedestrian walk bridge which now suspends over the pit straight allowing fans access to the brand new pit lane building located on the infield of the track.

“This year we come back to a refurbished Barbagallo Raceway and after talking to a couple of the drivers who visited the track earlier this year it seems we’re in for a real treat,” commented Frosty.

“We now have a brand new pit garage facility on the infield of the track and thanks to some sturdy Orrcon Steel the track has been equipped with a pedestrian walk bridge over the main straight to allow fans access to the pit paddock.

“What a great initiative by Barbagallo. Now, unlike previous years, the fans will be able to walk right up to the rear of the pit garage to really get behind the scenes of our awesome Championship thanks, literally, to the support of Orrcon Steel!”

WA Sporting Car Club business manager Jennifer Harrison said the bridge, which could be accessed this weekend by patrons with a pit pass or corporate ticket, stretched 63m from the media centre to the infield pit area.

“There are 30 infield garages with a new pitlane and 14,000sq m of hardstand where the (car) transporters will park up,” she said.

“The new, three-storey media centre is home to the race office, race control, media centre, timing, commentary and our WA Sporting Car Club administration.

“The circuit itself has not changed. We have moved safety walls back in turns five, six and seven.”

Tickets for the Perth leg of the V8 Supercars Championship at Barbagallo from May 4 to 6 are available through Ticketek.

A wet n wild practice at Barbagallo today

Orrcon Steel Racing have played an educated game of tyre strategy after Friday’s practice sessions which have been hampered with rain during the Tradingpost Perth Challenge – Round 4 of the V8 Supercars Championship.

Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom elected not to run a fresh set of wet Dunlop tyres all day, to save his wets for the weekend’s three races which look set to be completely rain-effected.

“The gamble is whether you use some of your new, allocated wets now or save them for the weekend in case it rains both days so I think we have made the right decision to conserve,” said Frosty.

Will Davison strapped on a fresh set of wet tyres for a final two-lap stint this afternoon to verify the pace of the FPR Ford and immediately jumped from 23rd to fourth on the timesheets.

“It was really terrible conditions out there today and we started on an ordinary set of used wets but put a new set of tyres on at the end of P4 and everything made sense again,” said Davison

“I think we will be fine for tomorrow its just very slippery out there and conditions are changing all the time but everyone is on the track tomorrow at the same time, with the same tyres, so that will be the real test.”

Frosty did not complete one lap on a fresh set of wets as he finish down the timesheets albeit unconcerned after his teammate’s quick time on new rubber in P4.

“Will proved in P4 that the FPR cars have the speed in the wet by going from last to third in one lap so I’m confident ahead of tomorrow if this weather does continue.” Frosty added.

It has been the first time since 1997 that a V8 Supercar event in Western Australia has been run in wet conditions.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Sat 5 May – 7 Network
14.30 to 17.30pm Qualifying & Race 7 AEST
*check local guides

EVENT NAME: Tradingpost Perth Challenge
DATE: 4-6 May
LOCATION: Perth, Western Australia
EVENT NUMBER: 4 of 15
FORMAT: Friday – 4 x practice sessions; Saturday – 1 x 20-minute qualifying, 1 x 50-lap race; Sunday – 2 x 15-min qualifying, 2 x 50-lap races

CIRCUIT: Barbagallo Raceway
LENGTH: 2.42-kilometres (clockwise)
DESCRIPTION: Barbagallo is more challenging than its short length suggests. The circuit is filled with long-radius corners which make it essential to have a well-balanced car. The final turn of the track at the end of the long back straight is the hardest braking point in the championship. The circuit is undergoing a major upgrade and teams’ will enjoy a new pit lane facility for 2012.
TRACK RECORD: 54.98s – Jamie Whincup (2011)
FPR BEST RESULT AT PERTH: 1st (x3) – Mark Winterbottom (2008)