Tony Ricciardello has again put in a solid drive to collect another respectable finish in the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, South Australia today.
Ricciardello finished in 21st place in the second and final race of the event today to continue to gain track time and experience aboard the #16 Super-Max Holden Commodore in what is his first full season of V8 Supercar competition.
The West Aussie sits 25th in the series standings after six races with a 100 percent finishing rate so far this season.
Jason Bargwanna again had a rough day in Adelaide in the #11 Rock Holden Commodore, finishing in 24th position in today’s 78-lap race.
Bargwanna struggled to find a suitable set-up today, pushing on despite the handling issues to score valuable championship points around the treacherous street circuit.
Garth Tander won today’s final race of the Clipsal 500 today ahead of James Courtney and Mark Winterbottom.
Kelly Racing will be back in action in two weeks time for a non-points event at the Qantas Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix before crossing the Tasman for the fourth event of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series at the ITM Hamilton 400 in New Zealand on April 16-18.
KELLY RACING QUOTEBOARD
TONY RICCIARDELLO - #16 Super-Max Holden Commodore:
“We had really good pace in the second race,” said Tony Ricciardello.
“Unfortunately I glanced the wall under brakes into the hairpin at the end of Brabham Straight.
“I just touched the white line and I got off the brakes but it's just so slippery on those white lines that it locked the left front and I lost a bit of time.
“From there we kept our nose clean and concentrated on improving the car and running a steady race. We improved our lap times and I'm really happy with the development and improvement of the Super-Max Commodore.
“The crew guys are just fantastic, they're helping me a lot and as a team we are all working well together.
“One of the important things you need to keep on top of as a driver is your fitness and I'm pleased with how I've gone physically in the first part of the year.
“I've survived these two races here, which are close to the toughest of the year, so it's all about improvement and taking these little steps forward to get quicker and quicker.”
JASON BARGWANNA - #11 Rock Holden Commodore:
“We didn't reach any of our goals heading into this weekend,” said Jason Bargwanna.
“We got caught up in other people’s accidents and we really struggled with the Rock Commodore today.
“When we pitted we went a lap down and that was the end of it.
“Obviously, once you are a lap down then it's extremely difficult.
“We also got a pit lane drive through for speeding at one of our stops so it wasn't a great day for the Rock Commodore.
“We will press on and see what we can learn from the races at the Grand Prix, then look to get back toward the top 10 in points over in New Zealand.”
V8 Supercar Championship Series Points Standings
After Race 6 of 26
1. Jamie Whincup 771
2. Mark Winterbottom 714
3. James Courtney 696
4. Shane Van Gisbergen 630
5. Lee Holdsworth 573
6. Craig Lowndes 552
7. Rick Kelly 530
8. Paul Dumbrell 489
9. Michael Caruso 462
10. Steven Johnson 455
21. Jason Bargwanna 282
25. Tony Ricciardello 222
