Chaos to rain on races
LEADING Supercars drivers are predicting the race from hell today with heavy forecast rain to make the Gold Coast street circuit a magnet for carnage.
Red Bull Holden Racing Team spearhead Jamie Whincup sent a major statement to his championship rivals by breaking the record for the fastest Supercars lap ever driven on the 2.96km track but that is likely to count for little in the wet.
Bathurst winner David Reynolds was third quickest across the day but openly admitted their Friday work “didn’t matter” because of the expected change in conditions today.
“(It) is going to be pissing down with rain and this is the scariest track in the wet,” Reynolds said.
“It’s horrendously bad.” Reynolds recalled the last time he drove in the wet at Surfers Paradise as being 2005 in the Porsche Carrera Cup series.
“I think I crashed,” the 32year-old said.
Whincup told the Bulletin this week that the championship could not be won on the
1. J Whincup ............... 1:09.9179
2. C Mostert ................ 1:10.1037
3. D Reynolds ............. 1:10.3301
4. S McLaughlin ......... 1:10.3536
5. S van Gisbergen ..... 1:10.3588
6. F Coulthard ............ 1:10.5337
7. M Winterbottom .... 1:10.5554
8. C Waters ................ 1:10.5676
streets of the Gold Coast but it could certainly be lost there.
Fabian Coulthard, Whincup and Scott McLaughlin are separated by less than 100 points at the top of the standings, with Chaz Mostert and Shane van Gisbergen also
9. T Kelly .................... 1:10.6728
10. C Lowndes ............ 1:10.6817
11. J Courtney ............ 1:10.6836
12. N Percat ................ 1:10.7624
13. Scott Pye ............... 1:10.7707
14. T Slade ................... 1:10.7817
15. W Davison .............. 1:10.9151
16. M Caruso ............. 1:10.9460
outside chances. Whincup reiterated Surfers Paradise could be a game-changer, with only rounds at Pukekohe and Newcastle remaining afterwards.
“It is going to be a battle of survival,” he said.
“Just try to avoid all of the white lines and the manhole covers and the rivers and the pedestrian crossings and all that stuff (that you can really slip up on).
“It is going to be hard work but it’s the same for everyone and if you don’t want to do it, you can always be a milkman.”
In an action-packed final session of the day, teenager Alex Rullo and his childhood idol Craig Lowndes came together in a minor tangle while under-pressure Garry Rogers Motorsport driver James Moffat had a heavy crash.
Moffat, the son of former touring car champion Allan, is expected to be axed at the end of the year and took ownership for the accident.
“I was just pushing too hard and I made a mistake. It was silly,” he said.
“I don’t know how the car will be but it was quite a headon impact.”
Whincup’s supreme lap followed his co-driver Paul Dumbrell topping the previous practice session in an ominous sign.
Mostert was quickest in the morning session.
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