Talk is Cheap
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Talk is cheap and Steve Owen, who is a man of few words, has proved this by winning the 2008 Fujitsu Series Championship.
The quiet driver from Melbourne claimed the title at Oran Park earlier this month in his #62 Tint-A-Car Commodore.
Thanks to a healthy championship lead into the final round, Owen only needed to finish inside the top 20 in race one to claim the title, which he did easily by finishing fifth, despite an over-heating engine.
Race two’s wet conditions on Sunday hampered any chance for one last podium finish, not to mention contact in the opening laps which caused a bent steering arm and unscheduled pit stops.
At the V8 Supercar Gala Awards earlier this month, Owen said he had a “great bunch of guys” behind him this year who helped him win the Fujitsu Championship.
“To win a Championship, it was pretty special,” he said.
Owen last raced in the main game full-time in 2007 for Autobarn Racing. He was a part of the driver merry-go-round late this year for Team Kiwi.
He finished 18th in the ex-888 Falcon on the Gold Coast at Indy, the highest result for the team since the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide where Kayne Scott finished 17th.
He also raced in the enduros with Jim Beam Racing, sharing the famous car #17 with Warren Luff. The pair finished just outside the top 10 at Bathurst.
But Owen is unsure whether he will return next year, despite winning the Fujitsu Series.
“I’ll just do my best and plug away and do what I can,” he said at the awards dinner.
“I’ll just make the most of it and take the opportunities as they arise.”
Owen said the #62 Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore, nicknamed ‘Earnhardt’, he drove this year was one of the best he’s ever steered.
“It’s satisfying to finally get the title,” he said prior to the awards.
“I feel particularly happy for Paul Morris who’s been an enormous help this year and it’s nice to be able to get the first championship win for a Paul Morris Motorsport-manufactured car, particularly on the same weekend that Paul had his last full-time V8 Supercar race meeting as well.
“I hope we get the chance to continue working closely with him in the future.”
The Tint-A-Car race driver thanked Beaumont Tiles, Bollé and Racer Industries for their support this season to help him become the 2008 Fujitsu Series Champion.
Steve Owen 2008 Statistics (Fujitsu Series)
Pole positions: Wakefield, Winton, Bathurst, Oran Park
Round wins: Adelaide Parklands, Sandown Raceway and Winton Raceway
Championship points: 1762
2008 Wrapup
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A busy and successful year for Steve driving many diffrent cars for some of the most successful raceteams in Australia and New Zealand. January saw Steve compete in the Bathurst 12 hour race in a BMW 335. After a competetive run in the first 3 hours, the car run out of petrol while Steve was leading the race outright (in a class B car) costing the team two laps and ending any chance of winning the race.
First V8 Supercar event of the year was the Clipsal 500, where Steve drove the Tint-a-car Commodore for the first time. A comfortable win in both races and a new lap record was sadly overshadowed by the death of fellow driver Ashley Cooper at Adelaides notorious turn 8. This success led to the funding to comlete the season with a real chance of winning the championship. Round two at Wakefield Park was also a successful weekend with Steve taking Pole Position and winning the first race comfortably. A loose rear bumber while leading the final race by 5 seconds meant an unscheduled pit stop and relegated Steve to third for the round after a certain victory.
Sandown was the scene of round three of the Fujistu Series and again Steve won the first race of the weekend by 3 seconds. Race two saw Steve spun around by another competiter, finishing a disapointing 14th, and resulting in a drive through penalty for 2 times Fujitsu Sereis winner Dean Canto. Having to start the final race in 6th position on the grid, Steve stormed to the lead at the first corner winning the race by over 6 seconds, winning the round and importantly increasing his Championship lead which was now quite substantual.
A tough weekend at Queensland raceway saw the team lose its best motor in practise and cost valuable track time which hampered efforts to set the car up for the difficult track conditions. After a trying weekend the team were happy to leave with a 2nd place and again increase the Champioship lead. After some time back in the workshop Winton raceway round 5 saw the team return to winning form, securing Pole Position, winning 2 of the 3 races to win the round. This included a win in the reverse grid race, coming from 10th on the grid to win in slippery conditions.
The Bathurst 1000 was double duty for Steve, not only racing in the Tinta-a-car Commodore, but also driving in the main event for Jim Beam Racing. Steve smashed the lap record on friday with a stunning 2.07.7 second lap, which would have been well inside the top ten for Sundays 1000 km race. A small clutch problem off the start and treacherous conditions meant a conservative 3rd place finish for the round and again extended the Championship lead which was now nearly uncatchable. The perfect record of podium finishes at every round was ruined in the final round at Oran Park. Qualifying nearly half a second faster than second place, Steve claimed the Armour all Award for the most Poles of the season in a time that would of again been well inside the top ten in the Championship Series. But a fuel pressure problem in race one saw the car go onto 7 cylinders for much of the race resulting in a 5th place finish, still enoough to claim the 2008 Fujitsu Championship with one race to spare.
From his impressive form throughout the season, Steve was signed to drive for the successful Dick Johnson Racing Team driving the Jim Beam sponsored Falcon at Australias two largest Supercar races, the L+H 500 and the Bathurst 1000. Included wass the chance to drive the car in 5 of the friday practise sessions throughout the season, where Steve was fastest on numerous occasions, never finishing outside the top 5 on the time sheets, beating most of the regular drivers in the Championship Series. In a competetive car Steve showed what he could do at Phillip Island qualifying the car in 5th place, finishing the first race in 2nd just behind former V8 Supercar Champion Rick Kelly, and outpacing regular driver Steven Johnson. A similarly successful run at Bathurst saw Steve in the top 10 in all but one session throughout the weekend. Strategy issues however prevented a podium position in either race, the team having to pit the car from 5th position with only five laps to run after a fuel miscalculation.
After a strong campaign at the Indy 300 in 2007, Steve was a last minute inclusion to the Team Kiwi V8 Supercar Team in 2008 on the tricky Indy Circuit. Looking for an experienced driver to provide a good result in a one-off drive, Steve gave the team its best result of the season after a last minute inclusion to the team.
With a growing profile and reputation for results, Steve was asked to replace the injured Paul Radisich in the New Zealand V8 Series. A promising start at Pukekoe with a 4th and 5th place were an encouraging sign for the rest of the season which continues in 09.
After such a successful year Steve is now focused on 2009 and is currently negiotiating with leading V8 Supercar teams for the upcoming season.