» Home » Racing » ENDURANCE RACING
APRIL 29, 2012. Tony and Klark Quinn were well on the way to victory in the first round of the 2012 Australian Production Car Endurance Championship at Phillip Island, until a freakish pitlane incident put them out of the race.
Their V.I.P. Petfoods Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X had to be retired after it slipped off its trolley jack during the third pit stop, just past the halfway mark of the six-hour race at the 4.5km Victorian circuit. The jack punched a hole through the driver’s side floor, protruding about 20cm into the cabin. It narrowly missed Tony, who had just climbed into the car to begin his second driving stint.
A disappointed Tony explained that he and Klark had been looking forward to scoring their...read more
Click here to view all Endurance racing news.
V.I.P. PETFOODS Endurance RACING TEAM
Endurance racing is arguably the toughest test that circuit racing can offer. The races generally are between three and 24 hours’ duration, contested by several classes of purpose-built sports prototypes and/or modified roadgoing GTs and touring cars, with two or more drivers sharing time behind the wheel of each car.
The key ingredients for victory are:
- A car that’s fast, reliable and fuel-efficient;
- Drivers who are skilled and patient, especially when lapping slower competitors; and
- A pit crew that can refill the fuel tank, change the tyres, swap the drivers, and make adjustments and running repairs quickly and efficiently.
In recent years, V.I.P. Petfoods' endurance racing team has contested various Australian and international races using a potent Porsche 997 RSR. The team’s best result to date has been a stunning victory in the 2008 Dubai 24-hour race, in which New Zealand ace Craig Baird and V8 Supercar driver Johnathan Webb teamed with Tony and Klark Quinn.
Other notable placings have been second in the 2008 Bathurst 12-hour race, sixth in the 2010 Merdeka Millenium 12-hour race at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit, and 9th in the 2009 ADAC 24-hour race at Germany’s legendary Nurburgring.
2011 ENDURANCE RACING SCHEDULE
Feb. 4-6 Bathurst 12-hour – Mt Panorana (Bathurst, NSW)
July 16-17 V.I.P. Petfoods Endurance Racing Series, round 1 –
Taupo (New Zealand) - cancelled.
Aug. 12-13 V.I.P. Petfoods Endurance Racing Series, round 2 –
Hampton Downs (New Zealand)