DJR Team Penske continue good form at Sandown 500
September 12, 2015
SANDOWN, MELBOURNE, 12 SEPTEMBER 2015: The Xbox DJR Team Penske Falcon FG X of Scott Pye and Marcos Ambrose has backed up Friday’s strong practice performance with another solid day in Qualifying for the Wilson Security Sandown 500.
The unique Qualifying format saw Scott Pye in the car first up to set the provisional grid for 2 x 20 lap sprint races. Marcos Ambrose and all the co drivers took to the track for Race 1. The Xbox Falcon FG X was away well and Ambrose powered down to Turn 1 only to find a sideways Sebastian Bourdais (Holdsworth Holden) in front of him and Dean Canto (Reynolds Falcon) into the passenger door! He gathered the car up very well and despite dropping two spots was soon back on the next group of cars. He was back to P8 on Lap 2, but could not get past D’Alberto (Tim Slade Holden) on the run to the flag.
So Marcos handed the car back to Scott for the primary driver race in the position it qualified in. Pye started well but a lot of the good work came undone as Tim Slade forced the Xbox Falcon wide and into the dirt at the exit of Turn 4. Pye tumbled to P13 but was in a line of cars, and with some others having issues, bought the DJR Team Penske Ford back to P11.
That result set the grid for the Sandown 500 and the team will now work on race strategy for the gruelling event.
Scott Pye – No 17 Xbox Falcon FG X
“The start was OK and no one really got a bad start around me. I held position but up at Turn 4 Slade just never turned in and just ran me out of road. Once I got out on the dirty stuff the other guys just steamed by. Clearly it was disappointing and that incident sort of dictated our race from that point.
“We will work hard tonight on our strategy so Marcos and I can move up and show the speed of the Xbox Falcon.”
Marcos Ambrose – No 17 Xbox Falcon FG X
“I got a good start but ended up in a bit of a ping pong match down at Turn 1. I had Canto in my door and Bourdais sideways in front of me but managed to keep going and only drop a place or two. The car was pretty good and I wanted to hand it back to Scott in the best possible position.
“Scott got hung out a bit in his race, but we have a quick car so there is no reason why we can’t climb back up the field.”