The start of the PIRTEK Endurance Cup is finally here with the Wilson Security Sandown 500 kicking off the first of the three big races.

The Holden Racing Team driver line-up has a slightly different look with Jack Perkins stepping up to main driver of car #22 after James Courtney was injured at Sydney Motorsport Park when he was hit by flying debris from a helicopter.
Racing veteran and past Walkinshaw Racing team member Russell Ingall will step in as co-driver, once again uniting the famous Perkins/Ingall names. Warren Luff again joins Garth Tander in car #2.

Racing in a Holden Racing Team Commodore for the first time, Russell Ingall’s rise from retirement extends his record for most round starts in ATCC/V8SC history to 248. In 2014 the Team had an impressive start to the enduro season finishing on the podium in second and third positions at Sandown.

Sandown Raceway is a unique location as the circuit is situated around the outside of a horse racing track. Opening in 1962, it hosted the Australian Grand Prix times. The track is known for its two very long straights and the fast 'esses' section at the end of the back straight leading into Dandenong Road Corner is often flagged as being one of the best sequences of corners in the championship.

Words of Wisdom

Garth Tander, #2 Holden Commodore VF:
“Obviously for the next three events the dynamic changes quite a bit because you are adding another driver into the car and into the team environment. So it is important to make sure Warren is comfortable in the car and as far as feedback goes, Warren obviously contributes quite a bit in terms of set up.”

“Having worked with Warren last year he fits in really well. I think a lot of talk goes into different driving styles of drivers and that one particular co-driver suits a particular driver. But with car of the future the driving styles are so common now that to get the most out of the car you need to drive the car the same way.”

“So as far as driving styles go we haven’t spent a lot of time comparing one to the other, we both want pretty much the same thing from the car. All Warren’s feedback over the last 18 months has been very similar to mine and we like the same things in the car.”

“The track is effectively two big drag strips with a couple of squiggles at each end and the surface there is quite unique as there are quite a lot of different types of surfaces. So the grip levels vary corner to corner and you need a car that rides the bumps well and the kerbs well.”

“You use the kerbs here quite a bit. You need plenty of braking stability because there are two big stops at the end of each straight and plenty of drive traction because of the slow corners that lead onto those long straights.”

Warren Luff, #2 Holden Commodore VF:
“I am very excited about Sandown, Garth and I finished on the podium there last year so we’ve got some history there and I would love to be able to go back and repeat it. Sandown is the traditional lead-up to Bathurst and it’s got some fantastic history about the event. As a team it’s an event that we have always done very well at and obviously we would like to go back and do that again.”

“I’ve always really enjoyed Sandown and it’s an event I have always done quite well at in the past. I‘ve had four podiums and I won it in 2012, so I love it. It’s a great way to start off the enduro season and as a track it always throws up some interesting results.”

“Usually weather plays a key point at some stage over the weekend and even sometimes it plays a part in the race. There is so much that can happen there and strategy is key. It’s a relatively short lap, it’s easy to go down a lap in terms of coming in for your pit stops so strategy is really important.”

“The co-driver qualifying race on Saturday is an important race for all the co-drivers, you obviously want to do well for the team and it counts towards your starting position for Sunday. But clearly you don’t want to make any mistakes.”

“The opening lap is going to be very important – get a good start and stay out of trouble. The first lap there is usually pretty chaotic into turn one, then at the chicane and down the back straight there is usually a lot of bumping. Qualifying and starts are really going to be key to staying out of trouble on Saturday and to set yourself up for a good start on Sunday.”

Jack Perkins, #22 Holden Commodore VF:
“A couple of weeks ago I was preparing to drive with James and we all know the unfortunate set of circumstances that means James is out for Sandown. I’m very delighted to have Russell driving with me and our focus as a team hasn’t really changed much. We are still very focussed on getting the best results we can. Everyone is there to win and we are no different.”

“Russell has a tremendous amount of experience and I’ve got a bit of experience now having been in it for a number of years. The Sandown event has typically been the warm-up to Bathurst and it is a good opportunity to put some runs on the board.”

“Like most tracks, it’s a place that you really need to have a fast car and you need good engine power for the two long straights which the Holden Racing Team commodores have. Then you also need a car that looks after its rear tyres because the drive onto those two straights is very important. If you’ve got good power and good drive you will have good speed over a long run.”

“It’s very important to stay on the lead lap at Sandown. If there is a long green run, which we’ve seen over the years, the leader can quite often lap half the field. I think my first Sandown saw an 80 lap green run so is super important.”

“The weather is also a variable it is often cold and it rains. A Lot of the track is made up of the original surface from the late 80s and it’s quite abrasive on the tyres. In the wet it means it’s quite treacherous and you have to drive to the conditions.”

Russell Ingall, #22 Holden Commodore VF:
“It was obviously very short notice for me to get the call up and get everything in place. I think even though it’s going to be a little bit of a challenge I only stepped out of full time driving in December so I haven’t forgotten how to steer a car. That was obviously a consideration for the team when they decided to give me the seat. I feel very comfortable with it.”

“Sandown has been a happy hunting ground for me too, I’ve had a lot of wins there over the years and funnily enough with Jack's dad Larry. It’s great to be with the Holden Racing Team, I’ve been here in the past with the Walkinshaw Racing team and it’s nice to be coming back here with the Holden factory team.”

“I’m really looking forward to Sandown, it’s a track I know really well so that won’t be a challenge. The challenge will be getting use to the car itself because even though under the skin these cars are the same they do have different handling characteristics.”

“Track-wise it hasn’t changed, it’s the same old Sandown. The bumps are in the same place and the corners are in the same place. So in a couple of laps I should be back on the pace. It is great to be driving with Jack and have the Ingall and Perkins names back on the same car.”