Rick Kelly managed to take out eighth place in today’s final race at Symmons Plains after a disappointing start to the weekend yesterday in the wet. Kelly’s team-mate Dumbrell showed promising pace in Race 2 earlier today, before getting tangled with Cameron McConville in Race 3.
Starting from ninth on the grid in the final race, Kelly worked his way up to third before making a pit stop to take on fresh tyres. After the shuffle of pit stops he was able to make up another position to settle in eighth. He later said he was satisfied with eighth place, given the team’s tough luck over the past few rounds.
Teammate Paul Dumbrell was looking promising in this morning’s race. Starting Race 3 from 13th on the grid, Dumbrell had pace but came unstuck when he was tagged by McConville at turn four and then again at turn seven. Dumbrell went to the rear of the field after the incident and was able to get back to 20th before the end of the final 50 lap race.
After a less than desirable result in Race 1, Kelly and Dumbrell started Race 2 from 19th and 21st positions respectively, separated by Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander in 20th. The two HSV Dealer Team drivers were able to bounce back from yesterday’s result, adopting a late pit stop strategy to try and regain track position. By lap 6 both drivers had made ground and a few laps later they both found themselves just outside the top ten, Dumbrell in 10th and Kelly in 11th, with the race leaders field starting to come in for their compulsory pit stops.
From third on the track, Dumbrell dived into the pits on lap 20 and a lap later Kelly came in, as the safety car was called to rescue a stranded D’Alberto. After the shuffle of stops and the safety car stint, Kelly had made it to 11th, Dumbrell was 13th. Dumbrell managed to stay in 13th for the remainder of the race, while Kelly picked up an additional two positions to finish in ninth.
Whincup secured the Race 2 win, with co-driver Craig Lowndes made it into second place on the final lap, beating yesterday’s race winner Todd Kelly to the line.
Kelly picked up 148 Championship points and after 13 Rounds sits in eighth position. Dumbrell is currently 19th on the points table after collecting 102 points in Round 13.
Jamie Whincup took the top step on the podium for the round with Todd Kelly in second and Craig Lowndes in third.
The final Round of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship is in two weeks time at Sydney’s Oran Park.
#15 Rick Kelly (Race 2: 9th, 53.1916; Race 3: 8th, 53.0418)
“I only moved forward one spot in Race three but to be honest I think we should be pretty satisfied with that after the result we had yesterday. The pace up the front was tough, everyone was separated by a tenth here or a tenth there. We actually had a little bit of pace on the cars at the front in the end but unfortunately there was no way around. Eighth was pretty satisfying, we got a few points and moved a little bit closer towards sixth. The last couple of rounds have been tough on PD and I and the team as well. It was good to get back towards the front.”
#16 Paul Dumbrell (Race 2: 13th, 53.2551; Race 3: 20th, 52.9772)
“Race 2 was reasonable we had relatively good pace, got a good safety car call so that was promising. Race 3 was brought undone by a couple of incidents with Cam McConville. He hit me twice into the braking zone at turn four and then tagged me again at turn seven and turned the car around into the fence. At the end of the day outside of that the car was really quick and we were able to stay in front of the leaders. It was a disappointing way to end really.”
V8 Supercar Championship (after 13 Rounds):
1. Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone 3,208 points 2. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing 2,975 points 3. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team 2,788 points 4. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone 2,619 points 5. Will Davison, Jim Beam Racing 2,375 points 6. James Courtney, Jeld-wen Motorsport 2,224 points 7. Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing 2,214 points 8. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team 2,194 points 9. Steven Johnson, Jim Beam Racing 2,029 points 10. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing 2,010 points 19. Paul Dumbrell, HSV Dealer Team/Autobarn Racing 1,284 points
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