V8SDS: Hooters Australia Team Bathurst Friday notes

A day of suprises for the Hooters team at Bathurst
That's motorsport..

It was a day of frustration at Mount Panorama for the Hooters duo of Terry Wyhoon and Brett Hobson, but for both drivers, despite carding less than ideal results, both ended the day with their cars intact, in a day plagued by great carnage.

Buoyed by their opening day performances, both Wyhoon and Hobson started the day with wide smiles and great anticipation. "I could hardly sleep," Hobson said pre-qualifying. "We made some suspension adjustments last night that should work out okay, but we'll see how we fare."

Wyhoon too was looking forward to the cut and thrust of qualifying, but he wasn't prepared for the outcome.

It started almost immediately with carnage at the top of the mountain, and the first of two long red flags. "I was on the grid about to leave when the first red flag came, then after a systems check lap (2:24.400), I started a hot lap and got as far as the Chase before the second red flag came out and we were back into the pits. In total I got four laps including out-laps. It was particularly frustrating as on my one hot lap I was up more than two seconds on my best lap of the weekend when they displayed the flag; and that was it. I'm pretty disappointed, even the rules state that you must have 15 minutes worth of qualifying time, we got twelve and a half. But rules are rules, and that's what we're going to have to wear."

Like Wyhoon, Hobson too was in the wars, although unlike Wyhoon, having finished Thursdays session in the top 50%, Hobson wasn't as troubled by red flags in his session, more by setup. "What we thought would work, clearly didn't, so we've got some more work to do before the opening race; it's just experience, considering it's our first time here, I'm pretty proud of what the team has achieved."

Wyhoon was looking forward to the first race, but admitted it would be interesting. "I've got the distinct feeling that I might be spending a bit of time with the stewards tonight," he said with a wry grin.

Little did he know how accurate his prediction would be, although fortunately for Wyhoon, despite making up 15 positions during the race, he didn't have a mark on the car, unlike many of his peers. Hobson too finished the race unscathed, and was running just off the tail of the top ten, but like his Hooters team-mate, was hampered by the constant pacecar periods. "In the end we got six laps of racing," Wyhoon said afterwards. "Whilst we were running we could make up positions pretty easily, but we only had six laps.."

Bathurst is revered by competitors worldwide for its daunting layout, and by Australian competitors as the one venue at which they all want to compete. It's a difficult venue to tame for even the most seasoned campaigner, much less those drivers who are making their debut. Sadly the opening Fujitsu Series race saw the final red flag coming after a serious incident on the top of the mountain, involving New Zealand's Mark Porter and Adelaide's David Clark, both drivers transported to hospital.

Tomorrow will see the second of the two 14 lap races for the Hooters team, with both drivers starting much further forward. "We'll be right," Wyhoon agreed. "It's another day, and I think if I can get a good run at the start, I should get well inside the top half of the field, I'm really looking forward to it."

-credit: hat