07 February 2012 http://www.luckyseven.com.au
TIM SLADE DEBUTS 2012 LUCKY 7 FALCON IN PRE-TEST SHAKEDOWN
Lucky
7 V8 Supercars driver Tim Slade has given his brand new Ford a
shakedown at Queensland Raceway and launched his new colours ahead of
this weekend’s season opening test day in Melbourne.
Slade is
the first and only driver to enjoy laps in his V8 prior to the
compulsory Sandown Raceway test and will be the only driver to get a new
car for the 2012 season. The Stone Brothers Racing built Lucky 7 Falcon
is the very last car to be built before the next generation Car of the
Future debuts next year.
“The first laps in the new car were pretty cool, it's a shame that we only get 20 laps,” said Tim Slade.
“I’d love to spend all day out there, but we have plenty of time for that at Sandown later in the week.
“The shakedown was an opportunity to iron out any bugs that may loom in the car.
“The
test days are very limited, you don’t want to waste half a day trying
to iron out problems rather than tuning the car for the first race.”
In
what is Slade’s first ever new V8 Supercar, not only did the 20-lap
‘shakedown’ go without a hitch, but in the process he launched the
all-new 2012 Lucky 7 livery, which will debut at the first round of the
season in Adelaide early next month.
“I think the livery looks fantastic,” said Slade.
“I
thought last year’s car looked pretty cool, but I had a chance to look
at the new car from a distance and it really stood out on the track.
“For Lucky 7 the key is to have a car that looks bold and stands out well, I think this has been achieved.”
For
Slade, driving the newest Ford Falcon FG in the series (and the last of
its kind before the 2013 season sees the introduction of the Car of the
Future) is exciting. He hopes it will be the best car he’s ever driven.
“It’s extremely cool to have a new car,” said Slade.
“There
are no real butterflies, but I’ve been excited all week to jump back in
after such a long break over the Christmas period.
“There’re a
few little bits and pieces that suit me better inside the cockpit so
hopefully this puts me in good stead for this year.
“A new car is just another positive thing to take into the new year. Fingers crossed it is the best car I'll have ever driven.”
Having finished 2011 in the top 10, which was his best ever season, Slade has set himself more ambitious goals for 2012.
“We finished ninth last year, we have to better that,” said Slade.
“Last year we showed flashes of form but we need to improve our consistency week in week out.
“I’d
expect a top eight this year in the championship, a few more podiums
and we'll be chasing for that first win pretty hard as well.”
Lucky
7 Racing Team Principal Ross Stone was happy with the car following its
shakedown and described the Lucky 7 Falcon as striking. While the look
of the car is important, Stone’s main goal is to see Slade take the next
step in his career.
“Definitely we need to take the next step, and Tim needs to do the same as a driver, which I believe he can,” said Ross Stone.
“We
are strong as a team, the engineering team is great and as long as we
are all doing the simple things OK we'll be on the money in 2012.”
Slade’s
engineer Wes MacDougall has echoed the thoughts of Stone, believing
that they have built a very strong, competitive car that will provide
Slade with the consistency needed to attain his pre-season goals.
“We
need to improve our qualifying, but Tim’s shown, and the car has shown,
that when we get it right we are really close to Triple Eight,” said
MacDougall.
“Improving our consistency is what we need.
“We are striving to make sure that the car will be as good as it can be and beat (Triple Eight) as well.
“The (Lucky 7 Ford) looks nice; hopefully it’ll go as quick as it looks.”
Lucky
7 Racing tests at Sandown Raceway this Saturday between 9am and 5pm
ahead of the first event of the season, the Clipsal 500 on the streets
of Adelaide, March 1-4.
An exclusive interview with Lucky 7 Racing's Tim Slade
| 
The 2012 Lucky 7 Racing Ford Falcon
Tim Slade and his new Lucky 7 Racing Ford
The all new Lucky 7 Racing 2012 Ford Falcon
2012 Lucky 7 Falcon, the last current era FG to be built before the introduction of the Car of the Future
|
