TTS Group enjoyed some corporate hospitality at the Falken Chicane Club for this years’ Armor All Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercar Event. TTS Group is an official sponsor of Aussie Racing Car Super Series team Edwards Motor Racing, Darrell Lea Confectionary Co CAR NUMBER 9.
Despite a few mechanical issues, Travis Edwards (team driver) drove consistently all weekend and is now sitting in 3rd place for the 2013 national series and confident of ending the year on the podium after the final round in Sydney.
We are pleased to record Travis’s racing success over the weekend with the following results:
Qualifying: 10th
Race 1: 7th
Race 2: 6th
Race 3: 8th
“These minor mechanical gremlins make it difficult for me to focus on the task at hand. Not something you really want to be dealing with on a high speed street circuit like this,” commented Travis after having a clutch failure at the start of the practice session, and an intermittent gearshift selector problem throughout qualifying and race 1. Travis said, “The car felt great early in qualifying although I found myself being held up by slower cars. Subsequently a clear track later in the session allowed me to set my fastest time although by then the car was no longer at its best.”
Race 1 was a hard fought battle between Travis and fellow local driver Adam Uebergang, regularly running millimetres from each other, with Adam eventually getting the jump after a short safety car period and beating Travis to the line.
Race 2 afforded Travis a very lucky escape while making a pass on the outside of the kink following the fast beach chicane approaching turn 11. In the blind-spot of Hayden Stephenson, Travis was squeezed hard up against the concrete wall and luckily he was able to continue remarkably with only a few cosmetic damages.
Race 3 started off with a bang, a big one! Whilst Travis and the first group of cars made it through the first chicane cleanly, the next group of cars were not so lucky destroying a number of them and covering the exit with components, body parts and all sorts of shrapnel. Travis said, “starting from P7, I had a relatively good start and made a good run through the chicane allowing me to push by a couple of cars into turn 4. The safety car boards came out shortly after this and upon returning to the turn 1-3 chicane I was shocked to see the damage strewn across the circuit.
I’m thankful all drivers involved emerged unscathed, I’ve been in a few big ones and know from experience just how safe these cars are. I was then in P5 for the restart and able to pull off an almost identical pass into turn 4. The car felt electric for the first time over the weekend after some dramatic setup changes we made overnight. I was up into P3 at the completion of that lap and looking to close in on the 2 lead cars. That’s when the engine misfires started.”
Watch Travis’s in-car race footage below to get a taste of the action!
The engine developed a persistent misfire that continued for the remainder of the race, robbing him of critical car speed and a podium finish, eventually crossing the line in 8th position. “Despite the issues we encountered, I achieved what I had set out to do in the lead up to this round, and that was to move myself into 3rd place in the championship. The 1st and 2nd place holders are still within arm’s reach if they have a troublesome weekend in Sydney. I’m going to Sydney feeling good about the car and it’s a track I really enjoy, so whilst a strong finish there won’t necessarily make me a certainty for the top positions in the championship, I’m definitely in with a mathematical chance” remarked an optimistic Travis.
We had the opportunity to spend some time with Travis on the weekend and enjoyed a tour of the pit garages and the No.9 Aurion Aussie Racing Car. Travis commented “It was fantastic to have Marc and the TTS Group team come to the garage and to be able to sit them in the car for a small taste of what we feel each time we set out onto the track in these awesome machines. It was fantastic to have Marc Mrsic’s staff from TTS Group come to the garage.”
Marc Mrsic, Managing Director of TTS Group said “I am proud to be part of Edwards Motor Racing team as a key sponsor and congratulate Travis on a very successful weekend at the Gold Coast. On behalf of all of us at TTS Group we wish Travis all the very best at the next round in Sydney and continuing our relationship with the team into 2014.” Marc added “it’s a great opportunity for us to not only have staff involved but to also share corporate activities such as this with our valued clients and associates.”
Travis’s next race will be at the Sydney 500 V8 Supercar event on 6th to 8th of December 2013. Catch Travis live at the event or watch him on Chanel 7 race day coverage.
Travis Edwards (Team Driver) and Marc Mrsic (Managing Director – TTS Group)
Comments