The last-minute re-shuffle of the programme by the organisers of this weekend’s Nikon SuperGP meeting on the streets of Surfers Paradise means double the driving duties but also double the opportunity for Stone Brothers Racing’s SP Tools-backed star Shane van Gisbergen.
Emerging superstar, teenager Shane Van Gisbergen in action
The reschedule came late last week following the withdrawl of the meeting’s headline act, the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.
The Gold Coast Motor Event Company (GCMEC) runs the SuperGP meeting and terminated its contract with A1GP when the boss of that series, South African businessman Tony Teixeira, finally confirmed on October 17 (last Saturday) that he could not get cars, equipment and personnel from the UK to Australia in time for this weekend’s event.
That left the organisers with less than a week to come up with an alternative attraction for the thousands of fans already booked to travel to the meeting.
But with the assistance of the V8 Supercars Australia they did just that. Instead of two 200km races there will now be four 150km ones – plus a host of other activities associated with the series, like the Australian Legends category which will see some of Australia’s most famous touring cars and their cars on the circuit each day.
The V8 Supercars will be on track from Thursday with testing that day and on Friday before qualifying on Friday afternoon, the Top Ten Shootout on Saturday morning then a pair of races apiece on Saturday and Sunday.
The result is 600kms of racing around the unforgiving 4.47km ocean-side track in the heart of Surfers Paradise, turning the meeting into one of the most important,strategically-speaking, of the season.
As well, unlike at home in New Zealand where much of the country is still in the grip of winter-like weather conditions – and at Bathurst earlier in the month – the Gold Coast has been basking in summer-like temperatures, meaning that heat will be one of the key factors for the drivers on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend is also a special one for the SP Tools family with the #9 SBR Ford Falcon – and driver Shane van Gisbergen’s crash helmet – decked out in a distinctive ‘Tools for Kids’ livery.
The ‘Tools For Kids’ promotion is designed to raise money for Queensland’s Royal Children’s Hospital with fans able to bid for the helmet as well as many other items of memorabilia. Included will be the Oakley boots and gloves worn by van Gisbergen over the weekend as well as a brand new Citizen ‘Eco Drive’ Super Chronograph Watch.
As part of the promotion SP Tools also offered a signage spot on the #9 car to the highest bidder, the winning company Alltools, a supplier of automative tools, air compressors , air, power and hand tools in South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and Brisbane.
Their logo will appear on the front of the Falcon this weekend.
Bids for auction items meanwhile can be made by visiting www.sptoolsracingcom/auction with the site open for business until 5pm on Thursday October 29.
Heading into this weekend’s meeting, one of two ‘home’ rounds for the Stone Brothers Racing team, young gun van Gisbergen is 14th in the series points standings with a good chance of breaking into the top ten if things go his way.
He and teammate Alex Davison certainly proved they belong at the front of the pack with impressive form at the most recent round of the V8 Supercar championship at Bathurst, qualifying sixth and leading the race before slipping back to 13th place at the chequered flag after a mid-race tangle between Davison and James Courtney then handling and finally engine overheating problems.
Ends
2009 V8 Supercar Series
Points after Rnd 11 of 14
1. Jamie Whincup 2476
2. Will Davison 2383
3. Garth Tander 2038
4. Craig Lowndes 1947
5. Steven Johnson 1656
6. Mark Winterbottom 1574
7. Lee Holdsworth 1568
8. Rick Kelly 1516
9. Russell Ingall 1484
10. James Courtney 1436
11. Michael Caruso 1433
12. Jason Richards 1340
13. Cameron McConville 1338
14. Shane Van Gisbergen 1302
15. Paul Dumbrell 1302
16. Todd Kelly 1275
17. Steven Richards 1253
18. Fabian Coulthard 1170
19. Alex Davison 132 1170
20. Greg Murphy 1047
2009 V8 Supercar championship series
Rnd 1: 19 – 22 Mar 2009 Clipsal 500, Adelaide Clipsal 500 Adelaide Street Circuit
Rnd 2 (N/C): 26 – 29 Mar 2009 ING Australian Grand Prix Albert Park
Rnd 3: 17 – 19 Apr 2009 Hamilton 400 Hamilton City Street Race Ev
Rnd 4: 01 – 03 May 2009 Winton Motor Raceway Winton Motor Raceway
Rnd 5: 29 – 31 May 2009 Falken Tasmania Challenge Symmons Plains Raceway Ev
Rnd 6:19 – 21 Jun 2009 SKYCITY Triple Crown Hidden Valley Raceway
Rnd 7: 10 – 12 Jul 2009 Dunlop Townsville 400 Townsville 400
Rnd 8: 31 Jul – 02 Aug 2009 Norton 360 Sandown Challenge Sandown
Rnd 9: 21 – 23 Aug 2009 Queensland House and Land.com 300 Queensland Raceway
Rnd 10: 11 – 13 Sep 2009 L&H 500 Phillip Island Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Rnd 11: 08 – 11 Oct 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Mount Panorama, Bathurst
Rnd 12: 22 – 25 Oct 2009 V8 Supercar Challenge SuperGP
Rnd 13: 20 – 22 Nov 2009 Big Pond 300 Barbagallo Raceway Wanneroo
Rnd 14 (final) 04 – 06 Dec 2009 Sydney Telstra 500 Homebush, Sydney
Distributed by FAST COMPANY on behalf of Team 97 Racing.
Last 5 posts in SuperGP
- Horror on the Streets of Surfers Paradise - October 26th, 2009
- SGR Backs Up Bathurst Performance - October 25th, 2009
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