TeamVodafone strong on the Island

TeamVodafone’s endurance success continued at the inaugural L&H 500 at Phillip Island with the reigning Bathurst Champions recording their seventh consecutive endurance podium after Car 888 drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup finished runners.
The duo claimed pole position and were 10 laps short of the perfect finish, having led for the majority of the 113-lap rain and safety car impacted race.

In a well strategized performance the Team and its engineers were always on the right side of the changing weather conditions and safety car stoppages.

“The car was 99% right this weekend and we had a number of strategies to cope with the varying circumstances,” said Lowndes.

“I congratulate the HRT team on doing a good job but I would really like to make special mention of our team who did an exceptional job given the variables they faced.

“We can now sit back, reflect and look forward to the mountain as we are off to a great start.” he concluded

Lowndes led the race for the duration of his first and only 43-lap stint setting up for teammate Whincup who faced challenging conditions including a heavy downpour mid race.

Whincup double stinted when a safety car presented an opportunity for re-fuelling and tyres but fading concentration with only 10 laps to go allowed a pressuring Garth Tander to claim the lead.

“It was a faultless performance by the guys,” said Whincup. “I am just disappointed that I dropped the bundle with 10 laps to go.

“We all knew the rain would come we just didn’t know when it would be or how it would play out in terms of who would be in the car.

“Craig also did an amazing job but unfortunately the team didn’t get the result they deserve.” he added.

Starting from 25th on the grid, Car 88 driver Fabrizio Giovanardi drove well in the early stages of the race, gaining a number of positions but an unforced error incurred a drive through penalty which put them out of top ten contention.

“It was very unfortunate I locked up and there was nothing I could do, I became a spectator in my own race,” Giovanardi explained of his incident with Dean Canto which resulted in a drive through.

“I have plenty of time now to think about how we tackle Bathurst and that daunting mountain.

“I would like to think we are a top ten possibility in the longer race,” he added.

Teammate Marc Hynes mirrored Jamie Whincup’s double stint due to the weather and safety car periods and circulated consistently and out of trouble finishing a credible 17th.

“It was certainly an induction to V8 Supercars. I didn’t expect to double stint or to get bashed about quite so much.

“The rain came and it was just a case of surviving until I could get into the pits for wets. I survived and got through to the dry again but I made a few mistakes in the final laps.

“I spent over two hours in the car so some good lessons were learnt ahead of Bathurst,” Hynes added.