With the final round of the V8 Supercar season fast approaching this weekend, the HSV Dealer Team hope to finish out the year on a high after an up and down season.
The ‘Grand Finale’ not only marks the end of the season for V8 Supercar teams but also the end of an era, with the Oran Park circuit being redeveloped into a housing estate. The track, located in Sydney’s western suburbs, has hosted a round of the V8 Supercar or Australian Touring Car Championship since 1971 and has been a long standing iconic motor racing circuit.
The NRMA Motoring Services Grand Finale marks the close to a long year and the team and its two drivers Rick Kelly and Paul Dumbrell couldn’t be more ready to tackle the challenge in the final three races.
“It has been a frantic back end to the year with five races in around nine weeks” Dumbrell said.
“Oran Park is one of the best driver circuits, you talk about Bathurst, Phillip Island and Oran Park as being tracks, we as drivers, like driving around.
“Not being able to race there after the end of this year is going to be pretty disappointing” he continued.
Rick Kelly was also reflective on the year that has been and the upcoming round at Oran Park. Like Dumbrell, he will miss the driving characteristics of the circuit.
“Oran Park is an enjoyable track to drive around and is a real driver’s circuit. I am looking to finish on what we hope will be a high. It is the final race ever at Oran Park which would be a really good one to win” he said.
“We were lucky enough to win the last ever race at Pukekohe in New Zealand and I think it is a great honour to be the final round winner.”
This weekend also marks the final round of V8 racing legend Mark Skaife from the Toll Holden Racing Team who will be lining up on the grid for the final time as a full time V8 Supercar racer.
“It is going to be a big round for the organisation this weekend also being the last race of fellow stable-mate Mark Skaife” Kelly said.
“As a team we are interested in seeing him get a good result and hopefully that will be the case.”
Coinciding with the final round, Dumbrell will also be debuting a new #16 Autobarn Commodore similar to the car Kelly debuted in Darwin earlier in the year. The car combines newer technology, giving Dumbrell a chance to become accustomed to the chasis he will be behind the wheel of in 09. A new car combined with Dumbrell’s performance over the last few rounds is the boost he needs heading into the final round and for preparation for the 2009 season.
“This week has been really hectic in getting ready for not only for the last round but debuting a new car this weekend has added a bit of a workload for the guys” Dumbrell explained.
“I can’t wait to actually get into the car and race it for the first time. I have only done it once in my career so I am looking forward to it immensely.”
The 2.7km circuit is known for the figure eight at the northern end of the track and the drivers rate it as a thrill to compete on. Kelly says that experience at the circuit will help his team out with a good result this weekend.
“We have had really good car speed at the circuit and I think all we need to do is stay out of trouble and do what we have been doing the last couple of years and we should be fine” Kelly said.
He scored a podium in 2006, a round he should have won had he not suffered mechanical issues. Last year started off in a similar fashion when he placed himself in second position for the first of three races. An incident in the second race put a good result out of reach.
“We haven’t had a lot of luck there recently but we have always had the equipment and we have had the speed that could have seen us win” Kelly reflected.
Team-mate Dumbrell is looking for that perfect weekend to top off his first year with the HSV Dealer Team crew. Dumbrell is hoping his speed from the last few rounds can be converted into a result at the Grand Finale spectacular.
“We were quite disappointed with our speed in qualifying at the start of the year. We were going reasonably well in the races but we had to work from too far back in the field” said Dumbrell.
“Over the last five rounds we have had the speed in the practice and qualifying sessions which is promising and hopefully we can end the year on a high!”
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