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Kelly ready to bounce back after disappointing second round
Owen Kelly is adamant that nothing changes ahead of Hi-Tec Oils Race Winton after a disappointing weekend at Phillip Island.
The National Trans Am Series held its second round of its season at the world-famous circuit earlier this month, which played part of the Shannons SpeedSeries bill.
It was a strong start for the former Nascar driver, having qualified on the front row for Saturday’s opening race before converting that pole position into a race victory later in the day.
As a result of the victory, Kelly started the round’s second race from pole position again and in prime position for a strong haul of points.
Unfortunately Kelly lost his lead at the start of the race, but found himself on track for a podium finish before he was forced to retire early when he came into contact his young Garry Rogers Motorsport teammate in Edan Thornburrow.
Forced to start the third and final race of the weekend from 15th, Kelly was able to power his way through the grid to eventually finish in fourth place.
Following on from the round, the 46-year-old wasn’t thrilled with how the weekend played out but was confident he can bounce back next month.
“We were pretty disappointed with the end result; we didn’t leave there with the bag of points we were hoping to,” Kelly said.
“We just need to bounce back with a win and maximum points, which sounds easy if you say it fast.
“Nothing changes for my preparation, you can only control the things you can control. We have just got to go and do what we normally do and try and win some races.”
As for the race two incident, the GRM teammates have since spoken and have come to an understanding.
“We talked about it after the race, hopefully he has learnt a bit of patience and to be able to think a bit further past the end of the hood and further into the race,” Kelly stated.
“We are on good terms, it’s not the end of the world even though it wasn’t ideal. You put it behind you and move on as there is no sense in hanging onto it.
“We have put a good car under him now and he is starting to drive better, so he will find himself near the pointy end more and more and that’s where he has just got to get smarter.
“He is fully capable, but time will tell.”
Ahead of the series’ third round of the season at Winton Raceway, Kelly was looking forward to going to a track he was fond of.
“I have always gone alright around Winton. We tested there early in the year and it went well,” Kelly added.
“It’s a technical track but it’s always been good to me, so I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s only going to continue to be competitive, the field will only get stronger and It’s crucial to start at the pointy end.”
The series is one of seven categories in action at the Hi-Tec Oils Race Winton, with Saturday and Sunday’s action to be broadcast via StanSport.
Tickets to the event can be purchased via motorsporttickets.com.au
The National Trans Am Series will take the track at Winton Raceway as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries’ Hi-Tec Oils Race Winton on 9-11 June.