Hardened V8 stalwart Russell Ingall says he has moved into calculations to claim a third Bathurst 1000 after leading the Walkinshaw Racing-prepared Commodore a pair of stirring results at the Coates Hire Ipswich 300 meeting last weekend.
Ingall finished fifth and sixth respectively in the twin races at the paperclip track and proved his race pace on hard compound control tyres, matching the benchmark leading teams Triple Eight Race Engineering and Ford Performance Racing.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report, results and championship point score from Queensland Raceway.
The veteran driver, who bagged the V8 Championship when he was with Stone Brothers in 2005, has proved there is still life left in his career despite nearing the ripe age of 50.
“We are never going to win the championship this year but we have got two of the biggest races of the year coming up and I want to have a decent swing at them,” Ingall told Speedcafe.com
“There’s no reason why I can’t win a third Bathurst.
“The good thing about it is the HRT-style cars have always been quick at Bathurst. So I’m looking forward to that part of it as well.
“Rock N Roll, hold it flat and one for the old boys.”
Ingall took plenty of positives out of his pace in the Walkinshaw Commodore.
“We still have some work to do. Those other two mobs (Triple Eight and FPR) have got some pace. But in saying that on the hard tyre run I was hanging onto the three at the front,” he said.
“I had (Will) Davison’s pace no problem at all.
“That was encouraging because it’s been one of our downfalls.
“Leading into the enduros where we don’t run soft tyres it works for us.
“I suppose I’m pretty particular in how I drive the car and I’m probably too old to change my style so the car has got to come to me.
“I don’t think we could have done any better (at Ipswich).
“The pit calls were good, the pit stops were good and the information I got in the car was good. I think we were all starting to get a bit of rhythm now.”
Ingall will be partnered by Austrian driver Christian Klien at the Sandown and Bathurst endurance races.
The next event of the V8 Supercars Championship will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park in three weeks time.
