Team HIFLEX is looking towards a competitive weekend in Darwin next month after a frustrating event at Phillip Island this weekend.
The HIFLEX-backed Ford Falcon endured a bad run at the famous Victorian circuit, with an ill-handling car and a mechanical failure making for a disappointing race meeting.
Hopes were high heading into Phillip Island, but a chronic handling issue was to blame for below average times in Friday practice.
Qualifying for Saturday's race did not go much better, but the team was confident it had sorted its issues. Team driver Tony D'Alberto has then caught up in a first lap off-track excursion, dropping him to the tail of the field. He stormed back brilliantly, though, taking an encouraging 13th place.
Sunday's race last just three laps when a steering component broke on the #3 Ford, sending D'Alberto off the track and out of the race.
The next time Team HIFLEX will be on the race track will be at Darwin's Hidden Valley Raceway.
D'Alberto finished a fine sixth in Saturday's race at the Northern territory track last year and is confident that the team will bounce back in the best possible way.
QUOTEBOOK:
Tony D'Alberto (team driver)
"That was certainly a weekend that Team HIFLEX will quickly forget," Tony D'Alberto said.
"In terms of our team's effort, there can be no faulting it. I think it was just one of those weekends where if it could go wrong, it did go wrong.
"Even though I'm disappointed, I really can't wait to get up to Darwin. We were very strong there last year, and the FPR-built Fords have improved significantly since then. Bring it on."
Al D'Alberto (team owner)
"We'll go away and have a look at our performances here and make sure it doesn't happen again," Al D'Alberto said.
"We never like to have weekends like this, but we are not going to throw ourselves off the bridge. We'll be back hungrier than ever in Darwin, and we can't wait to get there."
