Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA

Bathurst 1000: Jack Daniel's Racing Thursday report

PLANS ON TRACK AFTER FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT BATHURST Plans are on track for Jack Daniel's Racing after the opening day of practice at Mount Panorama today ahead of this weekend's Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. The aim of Thursday's three ...

PLANS ON TRACK AFTER FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT BATHURST

Plans are on track for Jack Daniel's Racing after the opening day of practice at Mount Panorama today ahead of this weekend's Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

The aim of Thursday's three practice sessions was to 'troubleshoot' potential problems ahead of the grueling 161-lap race, with many areas of set-up refined in today's sessions.

Todd and Rick Kelly will now turn their attention to qualifying pace as the grid for this year's edition of The Great Race will be set on Friday, while co-drivers Owen Kelly and Dale Wood continue to establish a soild race pace and set-up.

Jamie Whincup was fastest in practice at Mount Panorama today, topping the final session of the day ahead of James Courtney and Craig Lowndes.

JACK DANIEL'S RACING QUOTEBOARD:

RICK KELLY - #15 Jack Daniel's Holden Commodore

"Today is just about getting comfortable," said Rick Kelly.

"The first session, when the weather was nice and cool temperature-wise, was very kind to us.

"The car was very good in that first session so that was all we could have hoped for.

"The final session was a little frustrating to be honest. The track was more hot and greasy and we did a lot of full tank running and made a few set-up changes.

"A couple of our changes hurt us over the top of the hill so we want back on those. When we put new tyres on we got traffic on both laps, so it's a little bit frustrating.

"Even if we did not get traffic we are still not quite there so we've got just a couple of little things to chip away at overnight."

OWEN KELLY - #15 Jack Daniel's Holden Commodore

"It was just a normal day and the first thing you want to do is keep the car straight and not attack too early," said Owen Kelly.

"We just chipped away at it because it's not a track where you just rush out of the gate and go flat out from lap one.

"We ticked a lot of boxes on our plan for the weekend and got ourselves set for a big event. It's early days so we're not to worried to be outside the top bunch. We are just working to a program."

TODD KELLY - #7 Jack Daniel's Holden Commodore

"We didn't really have the best of practice tyres to throw at the car until we put a set of the race tyres on right at the end," said Todd Kelly.

"So it was a reasonable jump in lap time for the one lap I did on the newer tyres.

"We've highlighted a couple of issues and we are working hard to try to tune the car to make the tyres live longer. Last year we had some pretty serious delaminating problems so we've made a lot of changes to the car to, in theory, help the tyre live.

"Those changes have brought up other problems that we need to tune around. So far, so good and I'm quite confident that we will have a lot better run hanging on over a stint.

"We just need to fine tune the car now to find more qualifying speed."

DALE WOOD - #7 Jack Daniel's Holden Commodore

"It's an uncomfortable day, day one at Bathurst," said Dale Wood.

"After not being in the car so much and getting back into it at Phillip Island, those first few laps are a little uncomfortable given this place is so huge.

"It's good to get those first few laps out of the way and everything has gone to plan so far.

"We are not the quickest car so far but we are well on the way to getting ourselves a solid, good, reliable car, so now we can look to getting some more speed out of the #7 Jack Daniel's Commodore."

-source: kelly racing

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Bathurst 1000: TPR Thursday report
Next article Bathurst 1000: Kelly Racing race report

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA