Clipsal Preview

20 February 2008

Hi There,

With a 10 week break completed I am champing at the bit to get underway at the Clipsal 500!!

After catching up with many of you at the Team’s ride day in mid-December, Matt and I sat down with a team of web designers to work on my new website concepts, which began taking shape immediately.
 
Following this I was able to head down to Corowa on the Murray River to relax for a few days, and spent time with my family waterskiing. That sure helped to keep the adrenaline up!
 
We have all been working hard in the off-season to make sure we improve our car speed and hit the ground running for the first round.
 
After all the hype in regards to track condition and weather for our only test before Clipsal at Queensland Raceway, we had a fantastic day. The car ran fast and smooth all day which gives us confidence heading into this weekend’s opener.
 
The car is so different to drive with the sequential gearbox. It is a very easy and straightforward gearbox to get working, but it is proving quite difficult to get the most out of it. I will continue racing chassis 12, the car Craig and I debuted at last year’s Bathurst . This is the best car I have driven to date so I am looking forward to working with it again this year.
 
Clipsal is definitely the best event on the calendar. The atmosphere, for one, is amazing, and the Adelaide fans really embrace their home event. I have had good success there in the past, winning on debut for Triple Eight in 2006 and finishing 4th last year after qualifying on the front row.
 
I’m pleased to welcome some new partners for 2008 – Nokia, XXXX Gold and OzQuest Home Loans, and of course welcome back my existing partners Vodafone, Dexion, Ford and KTM Motorcycles from 2007. I really value the opportunity to work with you and look forward to another great year ahead.
 
 
We’re only one day away from hitting the track now and I’m looking forward to catching up with you in the TeamVodafone garage or in the corporate hospitality suites on track. Please make sure you come past and grab an autograph, photo – or just have a chat!
 
I am also pleased to inform you that I have just launched www.jamiewhincup.com.au <http://www.jamiewhincup.com.au>  in time for the start of the new V8 Supercar season. The site is based around the popular online community concept, whereby fans interact and help to contribute to the site. It features a great design and a range of downloads, information and insight into my life on and off-track. I have already made a number of posts on there and look forward to keeping everyone updated on races and results as they happen. Don’t forget to check out the sponsors page as well!
 
Cheers,
Jamie