Supercar return a learning curve

Geoff Emery made a solid start to the 2008 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series in the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide last month.

By Marc McGowan
THE death of a competitor marred Geoff Emery’s return to the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series in the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide last month.
After acquiring Mark Skaife’s former Holden VZ Commodore in the off-season, Narre Warren’s Emery has high hopes for 2008, but knew the opening round would be a learning experience.
“It was our first round and we’re just taking a bit of time to get used to the car,” he said.
“It was pretty much a learning curve and we tiptoed around all weekend hoping to complete the round with minimal damage.”
The five-time Commodore Cup champion qualified 20th fastest before finishing 19th and 13th in the respective races, leaving him in a tie for 16th place in the championship.
But the meeting will be most remembered for an incident that claimed the life of 27-year-old New South Wales driver Ashley Cooper.
Cooper was sitting just ahead of Emery on lap nine in race two before crashing into a guard rail at over 200 kilometres an hour.
He died of severe head and internal injuries in a local hospital two days later.
Cooper’s funeral was held on Wednesday last week at Nowra in New South Wales.
“I saw him bounce off the wall backwards and he was unconscious,” Emery recalled from the race.
“I was stunned, but I expected to see him on the next lap waving at us.
“I knew Ashley very well and things like this rarely happen, but it’s a tragedy when it does.
“I’ve raced with him for a long time and there are four or five of us Commodore Cup guys out there now and for that to happen to a mate is absolutely devastating.”
With competitors such as Steve Owen, Jack Perkins and Dean Canto, who have all driven at the elite V8 Supercar level, in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series this season, Emery is expecting a tough year.
But he hopes the worst of his growing pains are behind him and is aiming for a top-10 placing at the next meeting at Goulbourn’s Wakefield Park from 4 April.
“It will take a couple more rounds before we start to get the hang of it, but to finish midfield in our first time out is not too bad,” Emery said.
“We’re looking forward to a good result because Wakefield Park is a track we know well.”