News

Track: Hidden Valley Raceway
Race:  CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown
Date:  18th June 2016
 
No. 12 Taubmans by PPG Ford – Fabian Coulthard
Qualifying           P 11        Fastest Lap 1:06.48
Race 1               P   6                       
 
No. 17 Shell Helix Ford – Scott Pye
Qualifying           P   9        Fastest Lap 1:06.42
Race 1               P   5                       
 
Recap Race 1: DJR Team Penske drivers Scott Pye and Fabian Coulthard have finished fifth and sixth respectively in today's opening 120km race at Hidden Valley. After a challenging Qualifying session which saw track conditions change quickly, Pye was the better of the two and put the Shell Helix Ford into ninth position. Coulthard qualified the Taubmans by PPG Ford just two spots behind in eleventh.

The two DJR Team Penske Fords swapped places at the start as Fabian moved ahead. He was caught out at Turn 5 with Rick Kelly hitting Craig Lowndes and tumbled back to fourteenth position.

Scott was a little slower off the line but consolidated his position in sixth after the field settled down.

Both DJR Team Penske cars ran well into the race before stopping to give both drivers good tyres to fight with over the closing laps. Pye was first to Pit on Lap 19, and set about moving back up the field passing Holdsworth and Todd Kelly to move into fifth place. He could not get by Will Davison but brought the Shell Helix Ford home in a solid fifth place.

Coulthard pitted five laps later and he too was able to pass a number of cars finally crossing the line in the Taubmans by PPG Ford in sixth place.
 
Sunday sees another Qualifying, a Top 10 Shootout and the 200km final of the CrownBet Darwin SuperSprint.
 
Fabian Coulthard Quote: "My start was good and I made a few spots before Turn 1. Then it came undone at Turn 5 with drama in front of me, next to me and with nowhere to go I dropped back to 14th at the end of Lap 1."

"Our race pace was good and having fresh tyres towards the end of the race really helped. I was able to claw my way back and pass a lot of cars. The Taubmans by PPG Ford was very racy and so we need a little bit of luck tomorrow and shoot for the podium."    
 
Scott Pye Quote:  "The Shell Helix Ford was a really good race car today. Qualifying put a lot of the field on the back foot as the track got hotter when the sun came out. We were a bit further back than I had hoped and I didn't get a great start! At the first restart, I did not realise Jamie (Whincup) had such a big overlap and when I moved over I nearly ended up in the wall. Luckily both of us got away with it."

"The Pit Stop was mega. We got out in front of Frosty and on good tyres I was able to press on and pass Todd and chase down Davo. It was a messy old race out there but to get into P5 is strong result for the team."