Surfers Paradise: IRWIN Racing preview

IRWIN RACING READY FOR DOUBLE DUTY ON THE STREETS OF SURFERS PARADISE

Alex Davison and the IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Falcon V8 Supercar team are set for a total of 600km of racing at the Nikon SuperGP on the streets of the Gold Coast.

Originally the event was scheduled to feature a 200km race on the Saturday and another 200km on the Sunday. However, the demise of the A1 Grand Prix event has seen V8 Supercars Australia alter the race program to fill the void with twin-150km races on the Saturday and the Sunday. Only the recent Bathurst 1000 is longer in total race distance!

Davison comes to the Gold Coast event confident of a strong performance. At the previous races at Phillip Island and Bathurst he has shown outstanding speed. At Phillip Island he was running in the top-three before a loose wheel ended his charge; then at Bathurst he headed the time sheets in practice and went on to lead the race before late race mechanical issues.

The longer distances are not the only challenge for the IRWIN Racing team at Surfers Paradise. The street circuit is renowned as the hardest track of any on brakes and the close proximity of the concrete barriers leaves no room for error. Recent warm weather can also takes its toll on drivers with cabin temperatures set to be around 20 degrees hotter than the outside air temperature.

On the plus side the IRWIN Racing team will work out of brand-new pit garages on what had been previously the Indycar pitlane.

WHAT ALEX DAVISON HAS TO SAY:

"The most important thing is that the fans will get even greater excitement this weekend on the streets of the Gold Coast. The extra 200km of racing will be a big challenge, but we are up for it. We are coming off the endurance races so I am race fit for long distance running. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the IRWIN Racing Ford, especially since we showed outstanding speed at Phillip Island and Bathurst. Although we didn't get the ultimate race result at either event, we certainly showed the potential that the team now has. The IRWIN Racing team is looking forward to cracking a top-10 in qualifying and then using our race pace to bring home a top result. There is no margin for error at Surfers Paradise. You have to push as hard as any other track, but any slip-up really can hurt you. We are brushing walls all day long, so slipping a couple of centimetres too wide can cause heavy damage. It's a tough balancing act as you can't afford to back-off and allow for a margin of error."

WHAT IRWIN RACING ENGINEER WES McDOUGALL HAS TO SAY:

"We had no major repairs to worry about after Bathurst, so we have been able to fully concentrate on our preparation for not only the SuperGP, but also the busy end of the season. We are looking forward to having Alex back in the #4 IRWIN Racing Falcon. His confidence and race craft certainly got a major boost from Phillip Island and Bathurst and we are keen to harness that starting at the SuperGP. The time during the endurance races and in between has allowed the entire group to focus on better understanding what makes the FG Falcon tick and we are keen to show that over the final four race events this year. We had been planning around the twin 200km races, but now with four separate 150km races it will be an even bigger challenge. Plus the heat does make it tough on drivers. The Surfers Paradise track has two types of corners; short or chicane. So with the car spending very little time in the corners it require excellent braking and very good acceleration."

-credit: irwin