Oran Park Preview

16 August 2007

Hi everyone,

As I write this I am a little under the weather, having woken up today with slightly sore muscles. As some of you may know there is a bad virus getting around up here in Queensland and it looks like I have picked up a small bout. I am confident that I am fit and healthy enough to be able to shake this before the weekend so I can compete at 100%.

I had an exciting start to my week, heading out to Queensland Raceway on Monday to help out with the Driver Evaluation day. As well as hard-charging Formula Ford racers James Moffat and Tim Blanchard, we also had the world-famous Aussie Supercross star Chad Reed along for his first competitive V8 hitout. It was fantastic to spend time with him and I was happy to provide some pointers about how to get the most from the car. He did a great job and I am sure he will make a good racer on four-wheels if he chooses to go in this direction in the future. Chad and I also share the same manager so it was nice to keep it all in the family as such!

This weekend is about making up for the one that got away last year at Oran Park. I led race 3 and was in a position to run second for the round when my Stone Brothers Racing-supplied powerplant decided, as the industry says, to 'throw a leg out of bed'. The end result - a broken conrod.

The track really does suit an aggressive but flowing driving style. With most of the track consisting of corner upon corner, a good rhythm is crucial if you are to put together fast laps. My experience has told me that the harder I push the car and attack the large ripple strips, the quicker the lap time.

The other sad factor this weekend is that this could be the last time we visit the very popular Oran Park circuit. From what I have heard, the land has been sold for property development and will no longer be a racing circuit. It's always a dark day to lose a permanent racing circuit, as many of my fellow V8 drivers would profess.

Overall, the TeamVodafone Falcons should be fast and I love the track, having fared very well there in the past. All I have to do now is shake this bug and do what I do best!

Cheers,
Jamie Whincup