It’s game time for Australian Nürburgring campaigners Team VIP Petfoods of Queensland, as they make final preparations towards next weekend’s international event.
Winning this evening’s four hour shakedown during the Queensland 500 Club enduro at Willowbank had team boss Tony Quinn brimming with confidence, with his teaming with driver Craig Baird again proving as potent a combination as during last year’s ninth placing at Germany’s famous Nürburgring.
“With the new car (the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR launched last Thursday at QR ahead of its German race debut) there was limited time to practice, and so it was valuable to get in some extra miles with the similar componentry of the cup car we ran today, ” said Quinn.
“Although not the same car, elements such as the gear box are nearly the same, so it was good to be just that little bit more prepared ahead of next weekend. ”
Baird and Quinn will be joined by the chief’s talented son and regular Carrera Cup campaigner Klark Quinn, along with New Zealand stalwart, and Nürburgring veteran, Kevin Bell.
The Gold Coast based Team VIP Petfoods is rated a strong chance next weekend and that was further supported by Kiwi Baird’s summation of the team’s build up.
“Today went really well, it was great to do well at our home track, and it seems just like yesterday we were here with the RSR, ” said Baird.
“We started off the front row and we went in with a strategy developed from our 24 hour experience which worked well.
“I guess the best thing is to come away from today and go into next weekend seeing Tony and Christina (Quinn) being rewarded for all the investment and effort they are putting in.
“Going into next week we are certainly positive, there will be a lot to do once we arrive with final preparations for the car including installing a new 120L fuel cell, some upgrades, gearboxes and clutches and the like, so it will be all hands on deck heading towards our top five goal. ”
Just last Thursday Queensland Raceway played host to the team’s official unveiling of their new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (Type 997) – the only one of its kind in Australia - with it’s full driver line-up of Baird, Quinn, Klark Quinn and Kevin Bell steering the sleek machine around the Ipswich circuit for the first time.
Quinn and Baird will depart for Germany tomorrow morning to begin final on-circuit preparations for the great race in the “Green Hell”, with the 24 hour endurance race kicking off at 3.00pm local time on the 9th of June, 2007 (11.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time). At the same time, fellow Team VIP Petfoods racer Paul Kemal will be continuing his Championship defence in the Aussie Racing Cars Series. The Sydney-sider will be looking to maintain his 2007 Series lead during Eastern Creek’s fourth round.
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