Ride days keep V8 Supercar teams busy and thrill supporters

Saturday, 21 August 2010 09:08

While V8 Supercar fans suffer from withdrawal symptoms during the mid season break, the work continues for the teams.

One of the tasks that has kept almost every team busy during the break is giving back to the sponsors that keep them on track. One of the most popular ways of doing so is through a sponsor’s ride day.

I was fortunate to be invited to attend the Garry Rogers Motorsport ride day at Queensland Raceway as a photographer by one of the Team’s biggest supporters, Valvoline. It was a fun day and the Queensland winter weather really shone, with sun, warm temperatures and not a cloud in the sky. For something different I thought I’d give you an insight into what happens at a ride day based on my GRM experience.

In spite of the name a ride day is not just about being able to enjoy a hot lap in a V8 Supercar. As well as hot laps the GRM ride day also included a motorkhana and Daytona games machine challenge, as well as competitions and opportunities to speak to and get autographs with the drivers. The Team’s star drivers, Lee Holdsworth and Michael Caruso, were not able to take the high speed V8 Supercar track tours, taking well deserved holidays during the mid season break. This meant that the responsibility instead fell to two equally capable candidates, GRM’s endurance drivers David Besnard and Greg Ritter.

GRM had a three seater Holden VE Commodore V8 Supercar as well as a Holden ‘Super V8 Ute’ on hand for the day. The grunt of both was surprisingly similar, with Besnard and Ritter delighting their passengers with a little bit of on-track racing in addition to the ride. I got the impression that this isn’t usual practice at a ride day but I know I wasn’t the only one who thought it added to the experience!

I may have mentioned earlier that the ride day was not just about doing a hot lap but it was the definite highlight for all of the participants. As the photographer for the day I had the privilege of watching each and every person get into the ride car or ute for their ride as well as out afterwards and no one was disappointed. In fact every single person seemed to be grinning from ear to ear afterwards. The words awesome, unbelievable, amazing and phenomenal were among the words attendees used to put their experience into words. GRM were even able to squeeze a ride in for this Girlracer Magazine reporter and I completely agree with them!

The day, which included a morning session and an afternoon session, ran very smoothly with only two small interruptions caused by another racing team who were testing at Queensland Raceway on the day. Both drivers, and Ritter in particular, took advantage of these breaks to explain the inner workings of the cars to the attendees.

I’d like to thank GRM and Valvoline for the invite and the crew for making it such a fun day! If you haven’t already be sure to check out my story on my hot lap in a V8 Supercar, which also includes video. (Link) Chelsea Woods Girlracer magazine

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