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Star V8 Supercar drivers Jason Richards and Greg Murphy have given Tasman Motorsport’s new VE Commodore the ‘thumbs up’ after its first shakedown test.
Richards and new team-mate Murphy completed just over 60 laps of the 3.0km Winton Motor Raceway circuit in north-east Victoria on Tuesday, the test proving trouble free.
“First time out of the box the VE Commodore was a pretty impressive car, †Richards said.
“We set our quickest time of the day on just our sixth lap, but lap times weren’t the objective of the day – the test was all about shaking down the new car.
“There’s no doubt, though, that Holden’s new VE Commodore be a competitive package. â€
Four-time Bathurst winner Murphy, pulling his Tasman Motorsport driving suit on for the first time since signing with the team late last year, said the new generation Commodore was the first new chassis he had driven in over five years.
“The new VE Commodore was definitely a significant change in comparison to what I’ve been used, probably more so because it is a new chassis and I haven’t had a new chassis since the end of 2001, †Murphy said.
“Tuesday was very much a shakedown for the car and getting to know the team for me, which was good.
“We spent most of the day sorting issues and the like, so we really didn’t get into ‘it’ as such, but the car did respond to the few changes we were able to make, and that’s encouraging.
“There’s a lot to build on and we are all pretty excited about Adelaide. â€
A second VE Commodore is nearing completion at Tasman Motorsport’s Melbourne-based workshops and will be wheeled out in time for the first round of the V8 series.
The 2007 V8 Supercar Championship gets underway with the Clipsal 500 street race in Adelaide next week.
Both cars will carry GMC (Global Machinery Company) livery for the round, and the following round in Perth three weeks later.
