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JACOBSON’S “AWESOME EXPERIENCE”

Garry Jacobson's "Awesome Experience" at Winton - Photo: InSyde Media

By Bruce Williams

Garry Jacobson's "Awesome Experience" at Winton - Photo: InSyde Media

Garry Jacobson’s “Awesome Experience” at Winton – Photo: InSyde Media

NISSAN rookie Garry Jacobson has described his strong qualifying and early race pace at the Winton SuperSprint as an “awesome experience”.

By BRUCE NEWTON

Now, Jacobson declared, he has to capitalise and continue to push forward from the rear of the grid.

“That was an awesome experience for me to be up near the Penske cars,” he said. “The motivation is at an all-time high.”

Exploiting his well-known confidence in changeable conditions, the 2016 Super2 champion qualified into Q2 on Friday, then into Q3 and eighth on the grid in his Rabble.Club Altima on the Saturday.

With a big supporting contingent from his nearby Shepparton hometown in attendance, Jacobson then ran as high as fifth in the early laps of the 120km race.

Unfortunately, separate incidents with Lee Holdsworth and Jack Le Brocq meant he tumbled down the order to finish 21st.

Sunday didn’t bring a repeat of his initial pace, but he maintained the drop-off didn’t take the shine off the positives he’d experienced in the Saturday sprint.

“I started eighth, slotted into sixth after a couple of guys ran off and I felt like I was in fifth at one stage,” Jacobson said. “I had Shane van Gisbergen in a Red Bull car behind me for 10 laps or so – that’s a massive deal for me.

“It was a great experience driving with those (front-running) guys, noticing their rhythm and what they do at the start of a race.

“They are not really torching their tyres like we are most of the time at the back of the field fighting for position. The guys at the front were relaxed and calm, and thinking about lap 10 and lap 20 speed,not fighting each other and dooring each other.

“That was cool. I slotted in well and felt calm.”

Jacobson is grappling with a bunch of factors in his rookie year. He’s learning a car that had substantial aerodynamic changes over the summer that have proved a challenge for Kelly Racing’s engineering crew, and its three other drivers Rick Kelly, Simona De Silvestro and Andre Heimgartner, to find the right set-up.

He’s also worked with a number of engineers this year. Qualifying speed and maintaining tyre life in races have been key issues for him to solve.

“I feel we haven’t quite connected on what suits me,” he admitted. “As much as it’s a call for patience being a rookie and you need to understand it’s going to take time, I still feel we are a little behind where my potential is at.

“I still feel like there’s a fair bit to come yet.”

Jacobson acknowledges he has yet to secure a seat in Supercars for 2020, but is confident about that panning out.

“I have very loyal people behind me and great sponsors who are supporting me every way they can behind the scenes,” he said. “I am not stressed at all about the future of my racing because I am in good hands.

“I think I will be here for a while.”

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