Commodore Cup’s Youngest Star Samples Record-Holding V8 Supercar
Commodore Cup young-gun Scott Andrews had his first taste of V8 Supercar driving today at Winton, slotting in behind the wheel of the TAG Motorsport Commodore campaigned by Tony Bates in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.
The Alternative Freight Services / W.A. Freight Group VZ Commodore has a rich pedigree, as it is the same car in which Greg Murphy set his famous 2:06 lap around Mt Panorama, Bathurst, in 2003: a record that still stands today.
Andrews, who became the youngest-ever Commodore Cup national series pole position winner in the previous round of the series at Oran Park, was awed by the contrast between the different race cars.
“The V8 Supercar is a completely different beast to drive compared to the Commodore Cup car,” he said.
“The acceleration is just incredible. When I shifted up to the next gear, it seemed like I was already on the rev-limiter before I knew it!
“Braking took a lot of time to get used to as well. You have to brake well before the corner and absolutely stand on the brake pedal. I thought I was braking really hard, but when I looked at the data afterwards, I wasn’t achieving even half the brake pressures the regular drivers achieve.
“You have to be really precise through the corners. You can’t play with the car mid-corner like you can in a Commodore Cup car, because you have to keep the car as straight as possible on the exit so you can get back on the power early.
“Overall, I was really happy with how the test went. I have to send a big, big thank you to Tony Bates for inviting me to come and test his car, because it was an extremely generous thing for him to do. Sean Scott, the TAG Motorsport engineer and team manager, was very helpful in going through the data with me as well, and I think next time I have the opportunity to test a V8 Supercar, I can take on board what I learned today and move further forward.
“My times were already on par with some of the other Fujitsu Series drivers who were testing at Winton today, and I only did 10 laps in the car, so hopefully I have the opportunity to do some more testing and then I’ll be on the pace straight away if and when I start racing in the Fujitsu Series,” Andrews concluded.
Scott Andrews will next be on track in the final round of the Commodore Cup national series at Sandown at the end of November, while Tony Bates will be contesting Round 6 of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series at Bathurst in just over a week.
Commodore Cup young-gun Scott Andrews had his first taste of V8 Supercar driving today at Winton, slotting in behind the wheel of the TAG Motorsport Commodore campaigned by Tony Bates in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.
The Alternative Freight Services / W.A. Freight Group VZ Commodore has a rich pedigree, as it is the same car in which Greg Murphy set his famous 2:06 lap around Mt Panorama, Bathurst, in 2003: a record that still stands today.
Andrews, who became the youngest-ever Commodore Cup national series pole position winner in the previous round of the series at Oran Park, was awed by the contrast between the different race cars.
“The V8 Supercar is a completely different beast to drive compared to the Commodore Cup car,” he said.
“The acceleration is just incredible. When I shifted up to the next gear, it seemed like I was already on the rev-limiter before I knew it!
“Braking took a lot of time to get used to as well. You have to brake well before the corner and absolutely stand on the brake pedal. I thought I was braking really hard, but when I looked at the data afterwards, I wasn’t achieving even half the brake pressures the regular drivers achieve.
“You have to be really precise through the corners. You can’t play with the car mid-corner like you can in a Commodore Cup car, because you have to keep the car as straight as possible on the exit so you can get back on the power early.
“Overall, I was really happy with how the test went. I have to send a big, big thank you to Tony Bates for inviting me to come and test his car, because it was an extremely generous thing for him to do. Sean Scott, the TAG Motorsport engineer and team manager, was very helpful in going through the data with me as well, and I think next time I have the opportunity to test a V8 Supercar, I can take on board what I learned today and move further forward.
“My times were already on par with some of the other Fujitsu Series drivers who were testing at Winton today, and I only did 10 laps in the car, so hopefully I have the opportunity to do some more testing and then I’ll be on the pace straight away if and when I start racing in the Fujitsu Series,” Andrews concluded.
Scott Andrews will next be on track in the final round of the Commodore Cup national series at Sandown at the end of November, while Tony Bates will be contesting Round 6 of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series at Bathurst in just over a week.