with compliments of
Racenews
Brad Jones Racing
Oct 18 2004
Bathurst Hero Loses Battle To Have Car Ready
Bathurst podium hero Brad Jones has lost the battle to have his #21 OzEmail Falcon ready for the Indy 300 V8 Supercar contest on the Gold Coast this weekend. After a week of frantic work, Jones and his Albury based BJR team have conceded defeat on the Ford that suffered major damage after ending up on its roof on lap 30 at the Bathurst 1000.
The team will now prepare the spare OzEmail car for the event, a decision that brings some disappointment for Jones – “The #21 car was very badly damaged at Bathurst and at the time we didn’t hold much hope. When we got the car back to Albury, the crew were determined to give me my regular car to drive for Indy but in the end, there was just too much to do.”
“We only have two days to get the spare car ready to go. It needs a full driveline fitted and some internals but it shouldn’t cause too many dramas for the guys,” Jones added.
“The car that I will now be driving is JB’s [John Bowe’s] Falcon from last year, so it’s heritage isn’t bad but it will mean getting used to a whole new car for just one race meet. The only time I have spent in the old #888 Falcon was at Bathurst and Sandown last year, so it’s going to be a tough transition.”
Questioned on the extent of the damage to the #21 OzEmail Falcon, Jones added – “It’s big, bloody big. I would hate to think of the cost but it will be the biggest repair bill that we have ever had.”
After BJR’s enormous effort at Bathurst, coming so close to winning the holy grail of motorsport, coupled with a hectic week of car preparations, the team has had absolutely no rest. A fact that is not lost on the #12 OzEmail Falcon driver, John Bowe.
“Brad [Jones] and I really want to do well at Indy this weekend because it’s the only way that we can repay the crew for their amazing efforts over the past few weeks. They really have worked themselves into the ground to not only prepare a car, a week or so ago, that was capable of winning at Bathurst but now also trying to get Brad’s car ready. It’s been a super-human effort.