ICN Sports
With media and spectator attention squarely focused on the young gun duo Jack Perkins and Shane Price of Jack Daniel’s Racing, the pair made a cautious start to the opening race weekend of the 2007 V8 Supercar season.
The opening Round is based around the tight and twisting streets of downtown Adelaide, the circuit lined with unforgiving concrete barriers and steel mesh fencing, producing a daunting, uncompromising environment for even the most experienced drivers.
While both Perkins and Price have prior experience of the circuit from 2006 when both competed in the V8 Development Series, this weekend marks their first fulltime foray into the top level of Australian touring car racing.
Both drivers made careful starts to the weekend, utilizing this morning’s pair of practice sessions to feel their way around the course in their brand new VE Holden Commodore’s.
Jack Daniel’s Racing team owner Larry Perkins praised the sensibility of his two young drivers, stating “The intention was always for both Jack (Perkins) and Shane (Price) to start the weekend slowly, to feel the differences in the new car and to gain confidence on the Adelaide track. â€
Perkins and Price started the first session with a serious of impressive times, sitting comfortably inside the top 20 lap times and even edging into the top 15, before the leading drivers, many of whom have years of experience on the Adelaide streets, stretched their legs and pulled away.
“Both practice sessions gave Shane and Jack a chance to just build up their speed, to be confident in the car and to improve their lap times. The important thing to look at with both is the times they set today against their best times from the development series races here last year. Their times are vastly faster, even though it’s only the very start of the weekend, to what they were doing in 2006, so that’s encouraging, †explained Perkins.
Unfortunately the tarnish came off the day when Shane Price clipped a curb sending his #11 Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore into a concrete barrier during the second practice session. “It happened on the third lap out, I basically clipped a curb at the slightly wrong angle, the car got crossed up and I just couldn’t get it back under control before the wall. Thankfully the team did an amazing job and fixed all the damage perfectly, †said Price.
“It was an unfortunate incident for Shane, he was showing strong pace, and while the damage at first looked extensive the entire team swung into action and had the repairs affected before qualifying, †added Larry Perkins.
Apart from the challenge on the track including the unforgiving concrete and their rivals, the most difficult aspect of the annual outing in Adelaide is the stifling temperatures. Today the Jack Daniel’s Racing crew had to contend with 37 degree heat, both Jack and Shane having to contend with far higher temperatures inside the cabin of their race cars, temperatures that can quickly rise to over 50 degrees.
“It certainly is demanding on your body, †admitted Jack Perkins. “I’ve personally been training since before Christmas just for this race because I think everyone knows how hard it can be and every driver out here wants to maintain maximum focus whenever you’re racing despite the incredible heat. â€
