Both Brad Jones Racing ‘teams’ have qualified for the finals of the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge after some particularly rapid service at The Bend.
Being a four-car operation, the Albury squad is in fact split in two for the purpose of the Supercars teams’ championship and also the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge.
The Car #8/Car #14 crew qualified in top spot while the #4/#96 crew made it into the final four in third place, with Triple Eight Race Engineering second and Grove Racing fourth.
BJR’s #8/#14 crew pulled off their fastest ever pit stop in Race 21 at The Bend when they changed two wheels on Bryce Fullwood’s Camaro in 2.37s, while Andre Heimgartner’s service took 2.82s.
Next door at #4/#96, Jack Smith’s stop in Race 22 was done in 2.81s and Macauley Jones’ in 2.93s.
BJR has won the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge for the past four years in a row, and qualified for the finals on all seven occasions to date.
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Team owner Brad Jones said, “The pit stop competition is something that we, as a group, really target.
“It’s just really based on skill and hard work, and we’ve been fortunate enough to win it a number of times and been in the final four every time.
“So, it’s something we really look forward to, and everyone in the team rises to try and to win this trophy and being more successful at this than anyone else is even more incentive to try and continue our run of success.
“We’ve had such a good run in the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge that Supercars changed the rules last year so teams couldn’t have the same crew in the final twice but here we stand with two crews in the final.
“It’s complimentary in a way that they feel the need to change the rules to offer more opportunity.”
Sam Cosgrove, BJR’s Chief Mechanic and #4/#96 Car Controller, added, “I sort of have a bit of a proud dad moment watching the guys do the stop.
“I used to do it; now I just stand in the front of the car and get to watch them do it.
“But, it’s pretty cool to train them up, see them put in all the hard yards. And hopefully we can bring this trophy home again.
“I think it pushes both crews to be the best they can be. They help each other out but they also want to beat each other, which is pretty cool.
“But, the biggest thing is that they work together, support each other and want to beat the competition no matter what.
“We’ve got a pretty good culture here at BJR. Everyone knows that we’re very good in the pit lane.
“I think people come and they go from this team, and when we get new people come in, they inherit that culture to try and be the best that we can be in pit lane and keep up that reputation.”
The ‘regular season’ was contested over the 17 sprint races this year, with the finals taking place in pit lane at the Gold Coast 600 in late-October.
BJR has already won $7500 by finishing first ($5500) and third ($2000) on the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge points table, but is now in the running for another $20,000 and the coveted Golden Rattle Gun trophy.
VIDEO: Brad Jones on pit stop practice
VIDEO: Brad Jones and Sam Cosgrove talk about making the Pirtek Pit Stop Challenge finals
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