Photo: BAM Media

Davidson ready for Clipsal

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Alex Davison makes his race debut for the IRWIN Racing team on the streets of Adelaide at the Clipsal 500. The IRWIN Racing program now comes under the management of three-time V8 Supercar Championship winning outfit, Stone Brothers Racing.
100 days will have passed between the chequered flag of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship season and the green flag to the ’09 championship chase.

In that time the IRWIN Racing team has completed the building of a brand-new race weapon in the FG Ford Falcon.

Completing the off-season challenge has been the switch to the more environmentally friendly E85 fuel.

The V8 campaign begins with what many regard as the toughest challenge of the season. The twin 250km races are flat-out sprints on a concrete walled racetrack that leaves no prisoners. Added to the challenge are warm mid-March temperatures which make driving conditions some of the toughest of the season.

The popularity of the race weekend attracts a crowd of in excess of 250,000 and is regarded only second to Bathurst as the most important race event on the calendar.

IRWIN Racing preparation for the Clipsal 500 was completed last week, including a test session before the Falcon was loaded into the Stone Brothers Racing transporter for the trip to Adelaide from the team base on the Gold Coast.

Davison along with the IRWIN Racing team have set themselves a goal of a top-10 finish in Adelaide, although a result in the top-five could be the outcome if things click from the outset.

“The first thing is to get there and get the season started.” said Davidson.

“It has been a very long off-season for all of us. Second is the torture that this race can be, especially if it is hot. However, I feel that my fitness is a plus in that sense.

“I have set a broad goal of a top-10 finish and a solid start to the season. From that point we know that we can build on improving as the season progresses.

“It is so important that we bring home points for everyone involved in the IRWIN Racing program in both races in Adelaide. If we do that we will meet our goal and possibly be in a position to look at a result in the top-five as well.”