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JAN
20
V8s getting soft
It's official - the V8 Supercar Championship Series is getting soft. No, the racing isn't becoming any easier, but it is about to get spiced up thanks to a new tyre compound to be used in 2009. The official supplier Dunlop has been working tirelessly to develop a brand new tyre, which is substantially quicker than the current A6P5 compound used. Dunlop was asked to make the 'soft' tyre up to 1.5 seconds faster over a 60-second lap and delivered by presenting two sets of tyres to four leading drivers who tested the new compounds. Team Vodafone's Craig Lowndes and Super Cheap Auto Racing's Russell Ingall tested at Queensland Raceway, while the Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander and fellow Holden star Rick Kelly tested at Winton. The testing showed that the new tyre can withstand approximately 20 laps worth of hard racing while still remaining quicker than the hard option – before substantially dropping off the pace as the tyre deteriorates. The tyre selected by the drivers is extremely faster than the current compound over about 10 laps before the lap times gradually slow. Round 3 of the 2009 Series will see the debut of the soft compound at Winton Raceway and will also be used at the sprint rounds at Symmons Plains, Sandown, Queensland Raceway, Hidden Valley and Barbagallo. It is expected that the teams will not be able to test the tyre before the Winton round due to insufficient production time. Expect a whole new spanner thrown into the mix for 2009, as the change will open up another element of team strategy. One thing is for sure; the racing will be much more exciting and the lap records are sure to tumble. Chris Correia |
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Current opinion poll
Championship Series Driver Points
| 1 | James Courtney | Ford | 1947 |
| 2 | Jamie Whincup | Holden | 1827 |
| 3 | Mark Winterbottom | Ford | 1623 |
| 4 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Ford | 1598 |
| 5 | Garth Tander | Holden | 1509 |
Fujitsu Series Driver Points
| 1 | Steve Owen | Holden | 1076 |
| 2 | Tim Blanchard | Ford | 872 |
| 3 | Nick Percat | Holden | 853 |
| 4 | David Russell | Ford | 763 |
| 5 | James Moffat | Ford | 692 |
Teams Championship
| 1 | TeamVodafone | 3306 |
| 2 | Jim Beam Racing | 3108 |
| 3 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | 2682 |
| 4 | Toll Holden Racing Team | 2454 |
| 5 | Ford Performance Racing | 2433 |
Manufacturers Championship
10
06
