Emery arrives at last

By Paul Pickering
GEOFF Emery is hoping his luck has finally turned after a top-five finish in the last round of the V8 Supercars Fujitsu Series in Sydney.
The Narre Warren South resident, whose patience has been tested like never before this year, took advantage of a rare clear run to finish fifth in his TAG Motorsport VZ Commodore at Homebush this month (4-6 December).
Emery started from seventh on the grid after an impressive qualifying session and went on to finish sixth in the Saturday and Sunday races.
It was his best result for the season and catapulted him into 10th place in the championship standings – seven spots higher than his 2008 return.
The promising finale did little to ease the disappointment of a luckless campaign, but Emery was content to end on a high.
“It’s been the most frustrating year of motorsport I’ve had,” the 38-year-old driver and five-time Commodore Cup winner reflected last week.
“We’ve been bunted out of most of the races this year, but when we’ve got a decent run we’ve gone alright, and we had consistent pace all weekend (in Sydney).”
Almost 200,000 people attended the V8 debut at Sydney Olympic Park, prompting Emery to hail the season-ending event as a resounding success.
“It was huge,” he said.
“It’s certainly a good place to end it, and I don’t mind the tighter street circuits either. Obviously the risk of damage is higher, but I enjoy the challenge.”
Emery is entitled to think that he’s due for a change in fortune.
He was the victim of a series of unavoidable bingles this year and, given that he finances the team himself, has struggled to race the car on budget.
“We need results like that (the fifth in Sydney) for our own survival,” he said.
“It’s a very expensive category to run, because you’re at the top end of the motorsport chain – second only to the big boys (in the V8 Championship Series).”
Despite his frustration, Emery didn’t hesitate to confirm his place in the Fujitsu Series for 2010.
He believes that improved qualifying results will be the key to any rise in the standings, saying that a top-five starting position is the best way to “stay out of all the drama”.
For now though, Emery is planning a well-earned break before returning to the track in February.