As Jim Beam Racing headed out onto the streets of Hamilton for the very last time, the Team had high hopes for the 20 minute Qualifying dash. Steve Johnson was 13th quickest and Dean Fiore was 22nd.
The hoards of fans who came out to celebrate the last race in at the Hamilton Street Circuit, were expecting a fast and furious start as the 28 V8 Supercars lined up on the grid. The field behaved themselves and cleared turns one and two. Fiore focussed and picked up 3 places.
As the field settled into a racing rhythm and as the first round of scheduled pit stops began at lap 7, the crew headed in for Dunlop Sprint (soft) tyres.
Coming out of the pit stop, Jim Beam Racing were running 19th (Johnson) and 22nd (Fiore).
The only safety car of the day was called on lap 18, to clear debris left by a Tander broken splitter. Fiore and the Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Falcon, used the opportunity to head into the pits for a fresh set of soft tyres.
The race restart saw Johnson in 15th and Fiore in 21st.
Fiore became the effective race leader as the second scheduled pit stops were completed. Being the last to stop, Fiore exited pit lane in 14th spot, due to the Team’s strategy of the earlier pit stop during the yellow flag on lap 19.
The Jim Beam Racing Falcon’s focused on moving their way through the field over the closing 15 laps. Curb hopping violations by Courtney and Bright provided the Team with two more spots.
Steve Johnson led the crew home in the bright New Zealand sunshine, finishing 15th.
On the 5th last lap, Fiore hit the concrete wall on the inside turn 8, bouncing him into the right wall, damaging his steering. Fiore kept pushing his Jim Beam Falcon to the limit, coming through the chicane on the last lap and taking too much of the curb which was enough for car in it’s fragile state. The front left hit the ground, popped the tyre, causing a mad scramble with metal rims scrapping to get the car across the line in four-car wide drag race. Fiore bought his battered Falcon home in 6 places higher than his grid position, in 16th.
The Team now head back to DJR Headquarters on the Gold Coast for another tight turn around, before the trucks set off on their long journey across the Nullarbor on Saturday, for the reinstated Barbagallo round in 11 days time.
The hoards of fans who came out to celebrate the last race in at the Hamilton Street Circuit, were expecting a fast and furious start as the 28 V8 Supercars lined up on the grid. The field behaved themselves and cleared turns one and two. Fiore focussed and picked up 3 places.
As the field settled into a racing rhythm and as the first round of scheduled pit stops began at lap 7, the crew headed in for Dunlop Sprint (soft) tyres.
Coming out of the pit stop, Jim Beam Racing were running 19th (Johnson) and 22nd (Fiore).
The only safety car of the day was called on lap 18, to clear debris left by a Tander broken splitter. Fiore and the Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Falcon, used the opportunity to head into the pits for a fresh set of soft tyres.
The race restart saw Johnson in 15th and Fiore in 21st.
Fiore became the effective race leader as the second scheduled pit stops were completed. Being the last to stop, Fiore exited pit lane in 14th spot, due to the Team’s strategy of the earlier pit stop during the yellow flag on lap 19.
The Jim Beam Racing Falcon’s focused on moving their way through the field over the closing 15 laps. Curb hopping violations by Courtney and Bright provided the Team with two more spots.
Steve Johnson led the crew home in the bright New Zealand sunshine, finishing 15th.
On the 5th last lap, Fiore hit the concrete wall on the inside turn 8, bouncing him into the right wall, damaging his steering. Fiore kept pushing his Jim Beam Falcon to the limit, coming through the chicane on the last lap and taking too much of the curb which was enough for car in it’s fragile state. The front left hit the ground, popped the tyre, causing a mad scramble with metal rims scrapping to get the car across the line in four-car wide drag race. Fiore bought his battered Falcon home in 6 places higher than his grid position, in 16th.
The Team now head back to DJR Headquarters on the Gold Coast for another tight turn around, before the trucks set off on their long journey across the Nullarbor on Saturday, for the reinstated Barbagallo round in 11 days time.