It’s not often football and V8 Supercar racing are mentioned in the same breath, but Adelaide United major sponsor Stratco gave a number of the Reds a chance to experience the adrenalin, noise and excitement of the Clipsal 500.
Across two days, the Stratco Racing Team welcomed players from Adelaide United-s squad to give them a taste of pit lane in what is South Australia-s biggest motor sport event.
First up, Daniel Mullen, Iain Ramsay, Osama Malik and Eugene Galekovic took part in a pit stop challenge against members of another of Stratco-s sponsored South Australian sporting teams, the Adelaide Thunderbirds netball squad. With wheel jacks and tyre gun at the ready, and after a brief demonstration from one of the pit crew, the guys were given the opportunity to see how quickly they could change a tyre on the Stratco Racing Holden.
“I-d never been to the race before this year and to be in the environment they (the pit crew) are in was highly charged. It gave you a bit of an adrenalin rush and it was a great experience,” Mullen said.
“It is a rare opportunity to see where it all happens, so it has been fantastic and I want to thank Stratco and all of the guys in the pit crew for allowing us to be part of it.”
Despite the thrill, Mullen said the procedure and speed required to change a V8 racing car tyre is tougher than it seems and he stopped short of declaring he is eyeing off a role in the pits once his football career comes to an end.
“No way,” Mullen answered on whether he could see himself being part of the V8 carnival.
“The guys showed us how to do it (change a tyre) at first and obviously you need to have some brute strength but there is more to it, which was shown when Eugene lost to one of the girls.”
Changing tyres in pit lane is one thing, but heading out for a hot lap on the track is a total other proposition, and it was a thrill Fabian Barbiero and United-s Uruguayan midfielder Francisco Usucar were privileged to be able to experience. Although he speaks limited English, it was easy to decipher that the lap around the Adelaide street circuit was a hair raising experience for Usucar.
Click here for more images of the Reds with the Stratco Racing Team at the Clipsal 500.
