CAFÉ RACER 76

By: V8 Supercars

SO.. we are now 78 laps and 250 kilometres into the brave new world of new-look V8 Supercars, four manufacturers and a new season of competitive tussling between some of the biggest names in Australian Motorsport.

But what exactly can we take out of yesterday’s opening leg of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide? V8Supercars.com.au has gone through the race one results with a microscope and, as a result, have come up with the following..

THE BEST ARE STILL (MOSTLY) THE BEST:

For the most part, the teams that did all the winning last year are still the ones to beat in 2013. Red Bull Racing Australia and Pepsi Max Crew Ford Performance Racing locked out the podium yesterday and whilst it was never as easy as it reads here – they remain the two strongest overall teams in the business based on what we’ve seen so far.

CRAIG LOWNDES LOVES THE NEW CARS:

“They probably suit my style a bit more, I can throw the around more and be aggressive. I like them!” So says a smiling Craig Lowndes after his dominant win yesterday.. and 27 other drivers should be very, very worried. Lowndes has been there and done that when it comes to new cars coming into the sport and continues to be one of the game’s most versatile and adaptable drivers – but something has clicked between the Queensland-based champion and his engineer, Jeromy Moore, this weekend.

If it is indeed the case that this is a car that could re-sort the pecking order at Triple Eight, not only could this year see the sport’s biggest name crack the ‘ton in overall victories – he could be well on the way to title number four, as well.

THIS YEAR WILL BE UNPREDICTABLE:

It might sound like a contradiction to our last point, but we’re convinced that what we saw yesterday does point towards a topsy-turvy kind of year.

Take Fabian Coulthard, for example. If there was ever a case of the new cars levelling the playing field so far, the story of Brad Jones Racing has been a shining beacon. Jason Bright was quickest at the pre-season test and Coulthard was in inspired form yesterday and would have finished on the podium had it not been for the brake issue that slowed his progress towards the end of the 78-laps. Early on, he led comfortably and consistently and his later battle with Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen was sensational. It was nice to see some new names, liveries and teams up the front – and that’s what we’re going to get more of this year.

The early reliability dramas weren’t as severe as some doomsayers predicted – but they will keep people guessing until teams and suppliers have a handle on how everything responds after being bashed over the turn two kerb 78 times on a sunny afternoon in Adelaide.

DRIVERS WILL BE GOING SHOE-SHOPPING ON MONDAY:

Drivers walking – or hobbling – away from their racing cars became a common sight yesterday afternoon. Lee Holdsworth, in particular, had issues with his shoes melting away on the hot cabin floors of his new Erebus AMG. But why is it only some who have the issue and, more pressingly, how come some teams have one driver with hot feet and one without – in the same cars?

Seems to be all part of the learning experience everyone is going through this weekend..

THE NEW TEAMS REALLY AREN’T FAR AWAY:

The results won’t show it, but yesterday’s performance by Nissan Motorsport, in particular, was a strong one. Yes, two cars spent serious time in the garage with mechanical issues, but that was to be expected – after all, it was the first time that they had been run for any extended ‘long run’ in race conditions.

But Rick Kelly’s 11^th position might just be the finest non top-10 finish of his career: The former champion ran competitively all day and the Jack Daniel’s Nissan Altima looked like it belonged. He finished on the lead lap and with competitive lap times and though they remain down on grunt – it’s obvious that a canny strategy call or a well-timed Safety Car could have at least one of the Nissan’s inside the ten today.

Down at Erebus, things weren’t quite so rosy, however Tim Slade’s performance yesterday needs a tip of the hat. It was as committed and as classy as we’ve come to expect from the talented South Australian and he deserved more than the 15^th place he ended with.

THE LITTLE GUYS HAVE A SHOT:

Scott Pye, driving the ekol Racing Holden for Lucas Dumbrell’s small Melbourne-based team, finished 13^th yesterday, 1m50s from the leader and the last car on the lead lap. However, had he not received a late drive-through penalty, he would have finished (more or less) 25 seconds further up the road.. and that would have put the South Aussie rookie well inside the Top 10. Yes, it is a Triple Eight-built car- but its proof that the new era of V8’s – at least in the early stages of the year – can throw up some real surprises and inject some new faces into the ten.

GARRY ROGERS WAS RIGHT. AGAIN:

Alex Premat finished fourth and Scott McLaughlin in sixth place. Both looked like they had been V8 front runners all their lives and we continue to remain in awe of Garry's talent-spotting abilities. Enough said.

THE CLIPSAL 500 ADELAIDE REMAINS THE BIGGEST SHOW IN TOWN:

It could be the appearance of Rock icons KISS, the sliding heroics of Internet sensation Ken Block or indeed, the first-up appearance of the new-look V8’s – but one thing is for sure, the Clipsal 500 Adelaide continues to be the grand daddy of V8 Supercar events.

Crowds are up nearly 10,000 across the three days of this year’s event, a staggering 80,200 pouring through the gates yesterday to take the three-day total to just over 191,000. With daily crowds up on average 3,500 people per day on the 2012 figures, it remains a real possibility that today’s attendance could crack 90,000 people.

The single day record for the event (and for V8 Supercars) was set in 2008, when 91,700 people attended.