No finishes for Giovanardi & Menu

Alain Menu and Fabrizio Giovanardi both failed to finish the second race at the Gold Coast 600, despite strong results finishing in the top ten on Saturday.

Menu was the first retirement of the race, with the BJR car stopping for a still unidentified mechanical issue.

“I had it all under control,” said Menu.

“I knew what I was going to do at the start. I got off the line well; everything was cool.”

“I was still in first gear and the engine started to fluff; then it picked up again but the same thing happened in second and when I got to third … nothing. I was coasting through that first chicane and then it just died.”

“It’s a shame because Brighty did such a great job in qualifying and, after yesterday, I was confident that I could do a good job for him and the team today”

Giovanardi, racing in the Britek Commodore run as part of the BJR team, suffered a curtailed race as well. The differential on the car was damaged as Jacques Villeneuve in the Bottle-O Racing Falcon overtook the Italian early on, forcing Giovanardi into retirement before being able to hand over the car to regular driver Karl Reindler.

“I’m disappointed,” said Giovanardi.

“I try with all my force to stay out of the trouble and the trouble found me. Jacques Villeneuve made a really stupid overtaking; he just went in where there wasn’t any space. He hit me on the wheel and broke my diff; that’s it.”