Kmart Racing Wins The race Against Time To Repair Rick Kelly's Car For Clipsal 500
16/3/2004 17:38 (Press Release) -
Team puts controversies of AGP event – and $45,000 repair bill – behind it and looks to claim podium finish denied in Adelaide last year. Kmart Racing has won its first race of the championship season, the race to repair Rick Kelly’s Kmart Racing Commodore in time for this weekend’s opening round of the V8 Supercar Series, the Clipsal 500, in Adelaide.
Kelly’s new VY Commodore was severely damaged in an accident on just the third lap of the first race at the three-race, non-championship Australian Grand Prix event 10 days ago following contact with controversial Ford driver Russell Ingall.
But around-the-clock work since the incident by the Kmart team at its Clayton, Melbourne workshop ensured Kelly’s car was loaded along with Greg Murphy’s Commodore into the team’s transporter last night for the trip to Adelaide, arriving in the city of churches this morning.
“It’s been a lot of hard work and I had to ask for a few favours from the families of our team members for them to put in so much overtime, but we’ve made it,” a relieved Kmart Racing team manager, Rob Crawford, said.
“We have had to replace the entire back of the car, including all of the suspension work, the diff, the fuel system, tanks, panels, bumpers, lights – everything – it’s been a huge job.”
Crawford said the bill for the repair work could top $45,000, although Kelly and the team had put the incident behind them.
“It was an expensive weekend, but that’s behind us and we are as confident as can be expected heading to Adelaide. We have worked hard over the summer months and we’re not going to let the Melbourne incident take our eyes off our goals,” Crawford said.
“Our Kmart Commodores have always been competitive in Adelaide and we’re confident we can carry the speed both cars had at the AGP through to the Clipsal 500.
“We were denied a podium there last year when Ingall punted Murph off the track [for which Ingall was later penalised by the stewards] so we think we’re owed a little something in Adelaide.”
Network Ten will televise eight hours of live coverage from the Clipsal 500 this weekend, direct coverage between 1.00-5.00pm both Saturday and Sunday.
Release Date: 16/03/2004
Kmart Racing
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