News: Enforcer awakens for Tomorrow's Clipsal 500
Russell Ingall's alter ego, 'the Enforcer' might be required to make an appearance during tomorrow's first 250km Clipsal 500 leg after Ingall qualified 18th quickest during today's qualifying session in Adelaide.
Ingall had been happy with the performance of his bright new Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore, but didn't have the right handling balance to find the extra four-tenths required to make the starting grid's top 10.
Despite starting tomorrow's racing on the ninth row, Ingall wasn't too disappointed with qualifying.
"If you were just looking at the sheets you'd be disappointed - we were expecting to be further up than 18th - but considering we've built two brand new cars and it's the toughest track in Australia it's not bad," Ingall said.
"Half a second would have put us in the top 10 - it doesn't sound like much - but we had a handling issue and ran out of laps to tune it better. We've identified the problem and it's a process of elimination.
"On the upside, the car doesn't lose pace from new tyres to old so as a race car it's pretty good. We're going to have to play a smart strategy, get me out of the trouble zone and get back into the top 10 and play it from there."
Team-mate Paul Morris had a tough day, his #67 Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore missing the second practice session with an oil pressure issue, later traced to the oil tank return line and leaving Morris short on laps and only able to produce 26th best in qualifying.
"Missing the second session hurt; a lack of track time meant we had to take a gamble on setup and it was just the wrong way to go - the car was just way too stiff. It's going to make tomorrow very difficult, but it's a long race."
Ford's Jamie Whincup won the pole ahead fellow Ford drivers, James Courtney and Mark Winterbottom, reigning V8 champ Garth Tander the quickest of the Holden drivers in fourth position.
