Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products ambassador, James Courtney has continued the great form of the Walkinshaw Andretti United team at the Tyrepower Tasmania Super Sprint, scoring another podium with an awesome third placing.
The entertaining 50-lap race was largely strategic.
While many teams under-estimated the levels that tyres would degrade at the outer-Launceston circuit, the Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products-backed WAU felt leaving their drivers out longer before pitting would play into their hands.
After stopping, Courtney was in the middle of a torrid battle with Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen and Craig Lowndes. Eclipsing the Kiwi, fellow mid-race stopper, David Reynolds, arrived on the scene to momentarily pressure Courtney.
Courtney’s offsider at Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products-backed Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing, Scott Pye continued his outstanding season 2018. Despite a problem getting away from the pitstop, which cost the last round race winner around 10 seconds, he fought his way back to eighth position, the orange and black cars showing pace.
“It is a great result for everyone,” Courtney commented. “Every round this year so far our team has ended up with a podium. The guys did a great job with strategy. We concentrated hard in practice to see which strategy was going to work best. Craig had less wing on board, so had more pace to pull away.”
The duo qualified fifth and seventh in the revised ‘short track’ qualifying session format.
Today’s Race 7 results have moved Courtney to fifth in the Championship – 84 points off Championship leader, van Gisbergen; and Pye to sixth – 99 points from the lead. The team remains second on Teams Points.
Tomorrow, they will get back out for a 20 minute practice session at 9:55am before the three-part qualifying session at 11:05am. They’ll be aiming to be automatically into Qualifying Part 2 by ending practice inside the top 10.
The Tasmanian visit will come to a conclusion with a 200km race over 84 laps at 2:05pm.
All sessions live on Fox Sports 506, with highlights on Network Ten and ONE HD. All times Australian Eastern Standard Time.
For more information on how you can Clean, Enhance and Protect with Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products Epic Shine™ head to www.hotwheelscarcare.com.au or www.facebook.com/hotwheelscarcare.
Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products is produced under license from Mattel.
