Barbagallo: GRM Sunday report

Drive-through penalty snatches top four result from McConville at Barbagallo

A drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane in the third and final race of Barbagallo's Perth V8 400 has taken away a potential top four finish for Garry Rogers Motorsport's Cameron McConville.

After a brilliant day on Saturday where the former Formula Ford champion put his Commodore into the Top 10 Shootout for the first time in 2005 and finished eighth, McConville finished ninth in the first of today's 140-km races.

He had worked the #33 Holden up to fourth position in the final race before being adjudged to have sped in pit lane and the subsequent drive-through penalty dropped him to a 19th-place finish.

It wasn't all bad news as his weekend was still good enough to put him ninth for the round and serve as proof that the team is making steady progress.

"All I can think of is that I might have taken my finger off the pitlane speed limiter button just a fraction too early," said McConville, who will next weekend wed fiancee Cassandra in Melbourne.

"Still, overall it's a good result because we had good qualifying pace and we raced well. It's little dramas like that which cost you outstanding results.

"In the earlier race I pitted a few laps earlier than I'd planned and I got held up coming out of the pits. It's so hard to pass here that we could only make up two spots and salvage ninth spot."

Andrew Jones had another tough day, as his baptism of fire as a full-time Championship Series driver continues. He finished 21st and 25th in today's two races to end up 24th for the round.

"I flat-spotted a tyre early in the last race so that made my consistency under brakes not as strong," said Jones.

"I was really careful not to lock up the front again and damage it further. In every race this weekend the team has given me super pitstops and we've made up time.

"I had a run off the road in the last race when Greg Ritter and Craig Lowndes touched at the Esses.

"I saw Greg coming back onto the track as I went into the left-hand sweeper and thought he was going to clean me up so I ran off the road to make sure he didn't! That dropped me a fair amount of time and race positions.

"When the ball isn't rolling your way it rolls miles away from you but all we can do is press on and focus on doing everything correctly and results will come.

"Looking ahead, I've at least raced a V8 Supercar at the next track we visit at Eastern Creek, whereas I've never been to either New Zealand or at Barbagallo before. I'll have a bit more of an idea what to expect."

The GRM squad will have a chance to test at their home circuit at Winton in Victoria prior to the next round in the V8 Supercar Championship Series, which will be at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney in three weeks' time.

Team drivers McConville and Jones will also be announcing their involvement in an exciting adventure to be held in September in the next few weeks.

The pair will unveil the 'Climb to the Mountain' charity ride event prior to the next round at Eastern Creek, an event which will pit the GRM drivers against the elements in a major challenge to raise funds for charity and give themselves the perfect physical test in preparation for the biggest race of the year - the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.

-grm-