21/07/2005

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY - FACTS AND FIGURES

Please find following thoughts, results and memorable moments relating to Queensland Raceway from Bosch Motorsport's Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall.

INTERESTING POINTS – ROUND 7, QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
• This was the venue for Stone Brothers Racing’s first 1-2 championship round finish in 2003
• This was the venue for Russell Ingall’s first championship round win for Ford and Caltex in 2003
• Marcos Ambrose is chasing his fifth consecutive pole at QR – He has never started from any other position than first.
• Just 0.02 of a second separated Ambrose and Ingall at the top of the time sheets after the first day of practice at QR last year
• SBR had a very successful test at QR last Friday in trying and windy conditions
• SBR will be pleased to be back at their home track after a difficult trip to Darwin for round six. With Ambrose finishing ninth and Ingall 17th, it was the worst result for the team since Pukekohe in 2003, when they finished 11th and 16th respectively - 21 rounds ago.

THOUGHTS ON QUEENSLAND RACEWAY…..

MARCOS AMBROSE – PIRTEK RACING
I could race this track with my eyes closed. This is obviously the testing track for Stone Brothers Racing and I have done more miles around here than any other track in the world. The track actually looks quite simple, but it is quite technical and is hard to extract a great time from. There is not a lot of grass on the surrounding mounds and if it is windy the track will be quite slippery.

MOST MEMOR ABLE MOMENT
Clipping Steve Ellery in the pit lane in 2004 is something that I remember, but probably something I would prefer to forget. I guess having pole there every year since joining the V8 Supercar series has been a bit of an achievement. It was great to finally get a win under my belt last year after the Ellery incident ruined my chances the year before.

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (After round 6, 2005)
Current Points: 980 (1st)
Born: September 1, 1976
Car: Pirtek BA Falcon
Number: 1
V8 Supercar debut: 2001
2004 Championship: 1st
Round Starts: 58

Poles: 16 – Eastern Creek (Rd 13), Queensland 300, Eastern Creek (2004); Sandown, Oran Park, Queensland Raceway, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003); Phillip Island, Oran Park, Winton, Qld 500, Sandown (2002); Eastern Creek, Qld 500, Bathurst (2001)
Race wins: 24 (Last win – Race 1 – Eastern Creek, Round 3, 2005)

Round wins: 14 – Adelaide Clipsal 500 (2005), Eastern Creek (Rd 13), Sandown 500, Oran Park, Queensland 300, Adelaide Clipsal 500 (2004); Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Hidden Valley, Barbagallo, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003), Sandown (2002); Hidden Valley (2001)

V8 Championship Results: 1st (2004); 1st (2003); 3rd (2002); 7th (2001); Other Major
V8 Supercar Results: 1st Sandown 500 (2004); V8 Supercar Rookie of the Year (2001)

Career highlights: 1st European Formula Ford championship (2000); 2nd Australian Formula Ford Championship (1997); 1999 British Formula Ford Championship (3rd)

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY - RECORD
2004 – Qualified 1st; Overall: 1st
2003 – Qualified 1st; Overall: 2nd
2002 – Qualified 1st; Overall: 5th
2001 – Qualified 1st; Overall: DNF

THOUGHTS ON QUEENSLAND RACEWAY…..

RUSSELL INGALL – CALTEX RACING
I have had some pretty good results at QR over the years and that always helps when talking about whether you like or dislike a circuit. It is not the most excitingly designed circuit in the world, but it takes plenty of concentration to extract that final fraction of a second to give you the edge over the opposition.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Certainly winning my first round for Ford and Caltex at Queensland Raceway in 2003 will always be a pretty special moment for me. It was also pretty cool that we were able to give Ross and Jimmy Stone their first 1-2 finish in a round.

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (After Round 6, 2005)
Current Points: 877 (3rd)
Born: February 2, 1964
Car: Caltex BA Falcon
Number: 9
V8 Supercar debut: 1996
2004 Championship: 2nd
Round Starts: 114

Poles: 1 Winton (2001)

Race wins: 25 (Last Win – Race 3, Barbagallo Raceway, WA, 2005)

Round wins: 11 – Symmons Plains (2004); Surfers Paradise (2003) Queensland Raceway (2003), Winton (2001); Qld 500 (1999); Lakeside, Mallala, Hidden Valley (1998); Phillip Island, Winton (1997); Calder (1996)

V8 Championship Results: 2nd (2004); 7th (2003); 2nd (2001); 9th (2000); 2nd (1999); 2nd (1998); 3rd; (1997); 6th (1996); Other Major V8 Supercar Results: 1st Bathurst 1000 (1995, 1997); 1st Sandown 500 (1998); 1st Queensland 500 (1999); 2nd Bathurst 1000 (2002); 2nd Sandown 500 (1997, 2004)

Career Highlights: 1st Australian Formula Ford championship (1990); 2nd British Formula Ford 1600 Championship (1991)

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY - RECORD
2004 – Qualified 6th; Overall: 4th
2003 – Qualified 4th; Overall: 1st
2002 – Qualified 8th; Overall: 2nd
2001 – Qualified 4th; Overall: 2nd
2000 – Qualified 3rd; Race 1: 4th; Race 2: 3rd; Race 3: 3rd; Overall: 5th (Sprint)
2000 – Qualified 2nd; Overall: 4th (Queensland 500)
1999 – Qualified 2nd; Race 1: 1st; Race 2: 2nd; Race 3: DNF; Overall: 8th (Sprint)
1999 – Qualified 6th; Overall: 1st (Queensland 500)

ROUND 7, 2005
Venue: Queensland Raceway, Willowbank, Qld
2005 Race format: Qualifying and Shootout - Saturday; 90-lap Race (compulsory tyre and fuel stops) - Sunday
Circuit Length: 3.121km
Circuit Direction: Clockwise
Maximum Speed: 260 km/h (Back Straight)
Qualifying Record: John Bowe (1999) 1:09.2594
Lap Record: Garth Tander (1999) 1:11.0033