Luke Youlden (left) and Mark Winterbottom (right) will share the driving duties in the #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon
Luke Youlden says that the pressure of being paired with championship contender Mark Winterbottom in the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon at this weekend’s L&H 500 at Phillip Island doesn’t faze him.
The 500km event marks the start of the ‘season of endurance’ with this weekend’s race followed by the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and the Armor All Gold Coast 600 across the next six weeks.
For the first time since 2007 Winterbottom and Steve Richards won’t be sharing the driving duties in an Orrcon Steel-backed FPR Falcon due to the rules stating that the regular drivers can’t be paired together.
Winterbottom, who won the most recent race of the series in Townsville during July aboard the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon, is excited about the prospect of pairing with one of the most experienced endurance drivers without a regular drive in the championship.
Richards, who finished third in last year’s 500km race after starting from pole position when paired with Winterbottom, is this weekend paired with Moffat, who will be making his debut in the ‘main game’.
Moffat is excited about the prospect of being paired with a driver with the experience such as Richards for his championship debut.
After eight events in the series Winterbottom is currently third in the championship standings – a strong run by him and Youlden could see him leap into championship contention.
Practice begins on Friday ahead of two qualifying sessions and races on Saturday and the L&H 500 on Sunday.
QUOTES FROM THE DRIVERS
Mark Winterbottom – #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon
“I’m ready to go, I think we’ve got a good chance down there,” said Winterbottom.
“We’ve got the runs on the board over the past couple of races and were the last driver to win a race, so we go into the race with some pretty good confidence.
“As always I think the weather will play an important role in the outcome of the weekend.
“We’ve worked pretty hard to make sure Luke is comfortable in the car and he likes the car set-up very similar to me. Our driver changes are now down to our target time, so on paper everything is looking pretty good.
“We were on pole there last year and the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon was good on a short amount of laps but over the distance it wasn’t as good as what it could have been. However, one of our strengths this year has been our tyre life and longevity, with Phillip Island one of the hardest in the championship on tyres I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
Luke Youlden – #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon
“I’m pretty excited about the next few races,” said Youlden.
“After a couple of test days I’m well and truly in the mode now, the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon has been pretty strong and I really just want to go out there and do the job that is asked of me by the team.
“I’ve been in this position before, where I was paired with Russell Ingall in 2005 when he won the championship. From the outside it sounds like I should have some pressure on me but I’m not feeling any more pressure than I have in the past.
“The most important fact for me is to make sure we finish the race and get a heap of points. It’s not only from a championship point of view but also the fact that the remaining events are all pretty close together and we don’t want the guys to be repairing cars.”
Steve Richards – Orrcon Steel-backed #6 Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon
“I really enjoy the unique qualifying format and the atmosphere of Phillip Island is terrific for this time of year,” said Richards.
“While he may be making his debut in the main game James is a professional in his own right, I’m looking forward to working with him. He certainly has the right mentality and sensible approach.
“All of the drivers enjoy racing at Phillip Island, it’s probably second on their favourite behind Bathurst. One of the great things about the venue is the fact that the track owners are always upgrading the facilities.”
James Moffat – Orrcon Steel-backed #6 Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon
“It’s a pretty exciting time for me,” said Moffat.
“To be paired with someone who has the experience that Richo has got is something I probably have to thank the new co-driver rule for. If it wasn’t for that rule I wouldn’t be able to work as closely with an experienced driver like him.
“Over the past few weeks I’ve been drawing off him as much as possible and I will be doing the same thing across the weekend.
“We’re both similar in height, shape and size which makes life easier for use both to be comfortable in the car.
“The driver changes are a new experience for me, so to have Richo to answer questions has been great during our practice and we’ve got them down to some pretty respectable times.
“I’ve raced at Phillip Island in a Formula Ford and Porsche before so it will be more about learning the characteristics of the car more than where the track goes.”
V8 Supercar Championship Series Points Standings
After Race 16 of 26
1. James Courtney 1947
2. Jamie Whincup 1827
3. Mark Winterbottom 1623
4. Shane van Gisbergen 1598
5. Garth Tander 1509
6. Craig Lowndes 1479
7. Lee Holdsworth 1398
8. Rick Kelly 1352
9. Michael Caruso 1259
10. Steven Johnson 1151
20. Steve Richards 810
ORRCON STEEL STATS – Phillip Island
Circuit: Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit
Location: Phillip Island, Victoria
Circuit Length: 4.45 kilometres
Average Speed: 174 km/h
Maximum Speed: 290 km/h
Format: Saturday and Sunday
2009 Attendance: 46. 291 (three days)
2009 Sunday Pole Position: Mark Winterbottom/Steve Richards
2009 Sunday Race Winner: Garth Tander/Will Davison
Mark Winterbottom
Debut: Event 13 – 2005
Races: 13
Best Qualifying: 1st (500km 2009)
Avg. Qualifying: 8.9
Best Races Result: 1st (R3 2006)
Avg. Race Result: 10.2
Steve Richards
Debut: Event 5 – 1996
Races: 29
Best Qualifying: 1st (500km 2009)
Avg. Qualifying: 12.1
Best Race Result: 3rd (500km 2009)
Avg. Race Result: 12.1
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Times below are Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 10 hours)
Friday 10 September 2010
11:30am – 12:10pm: Practice 1
12:50pm – 1:30pm: Practice 2
2:10pm – 2:50pm: Practice 3
Saturday 11 September 2010
9:15am – 9:55am: Practice 4
10:10am – 10:50am: Practice 5
11:30am – 11:50pm: Qualifying – Race 1
12:05pm – 12:25pm: Qualifying – Race 2
2:35pm: Qualifying Race 1 (60km)
4:35pm: Qualifying Race 2 (60km)
Sunday 12 September 2010
10:30am –10:50am: Warm Up
1:35pm: L&H 500 (Series Race 17) – 113 laps (500km)
AUS TELEVISION SCHEDULE – SEVEN NETWORK
Times subject to amendment – please check local guides
Saturday 11 September 2010
3:00pm – 5:30pm: Qualifying and Qualifying Races
Sunday 12 September 2010
12:30pm – 5:30pm: L&H 500
