Garth Tander has warned against over-estimating the results from this weekend’s points-less MSS Security V8 Supercar Challenge.
Tander, a former V8 Supercar Champion and multiple Bathurst winner, claimed second at the 2012 Formula 1™ Australian Grand Prix behind Mark Winterbottom (FPR) and Shane Van Gisbergen (SBR).
The talk centred on the absence of the mighty TeamVodafone on any of the podiums over the weekend with Jamie Whincup 10th on points and Craig Lowndes 12th, heading to the Championship return at the Tasmania Challenge in a fortnight.
“The Vodafone boys aren’t here because Craig had an engine fail and Jamie had a drama yesterday. They were fast but didn’t put three races, a qualifying race and qualifying together. I don’t think much will change,” Tander said.
“(But) we all showed in Adelaide, certainly FPR and my car, that if you put pressure on them they have to react and when they reacted on Sunday (in Adelaide) they didn’t do it properly with fuel and also had an engine drama.
“Anybody up and down pit lane is fallible. You just keep the pressure on and do it to the best of your ability. If you do that you will be there or thereabouts.”
For the second day in a row Tander’s Toll Holden Racing Team was wedged between two Fords, today it was Winterbottom in the FPR Ford Falcon and Van Gisbergen in the SP Tools Falcon.
Van Gisbergen has claimed victory in the final race, Tander second and Fabian Coulthard for Lockwood Racing in third.
Despite leading for most of the race on a different tyre strategy to his main rivals, Will Davison had to be content with fourth overall ahead of Winterbottom, David Reynolds, Lee Holdsworth, Craig Lowndes, Todd Kelly, and Rick Kelly.
Winterbottom’s fifth in race four was enough points from his two earlier race wins to claim the overall MSS Security V8 Supercars Challenge and $100,000 cash.
“First of all the cheque has to be made out to Mark Winterbottom, that’s the first priority,” Winterbottom said. “The guys have worked really hard so I’d like to see them get rewarded."
Winterbottom's podium result continues a winning run for Ford Performance Racing, with Will Davison also enjoying success in the opening round of the Championship in Adelaide.
“It’s really good; we were very weak here last year. To win a Championship you’ve got to be good at every track," says Winterbottom.
“We had very good tyre life, so to now know at races where there is a hard and soft tyre how long we can actually run on the tyre is a very good boost for the team too.
"All three cars were very competitive at different stages, so we’re pretty happy with how we’re going, we’ve got good spirit.”
The V8 Supercars will be seen next in two weeks time at Symmons Plains for the Tasmania Challenge.
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