SPORT lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l l ntnews.com.au Frosty expecting fireworks MOTORSPORT could all equate to carnage. Only the harder control By DAMIEN McCARTNEY ‘‘Everyone is going to be tyre can be used in tomor- lined up in sequence, we will row’s race, while both must FORD Performance Racing arrive at turn one 60km/h be used in the two Sunday star Mark Winterbottom has faster than normal, some It’s going to be great for the fans races. Teams are free to use said turn one after the rolling guys will be on good tyres, ot- sets from their tyre stocks restart for tomorrow’s 60/60 hers might not be, there for practice. Super Sprint race in Darwin might be marbles on the sur- ‘‘We’ve had some bad luck calendar — largely thanks to ‘‘Depending on tyre con- has all the ingredients to face, so guys on the inside so far, and a few issues that the track’s high temperature dition in practice, we won’t be ‘‘chaotic’’. might have less grip.’’ he we can fix — like pit stops and abrasive surface. really be able to see who’s got Winterbottom comes into said. ‘‘If you’re on pole you and wheel nuts — but our He said a clear indication pace until after qualifying,’’ the Hidden Valley event in dictate the pace, so you’ll be speed has been good in of the pecking order for the he said. eighth place in the cham- OK, but midpack, back, it both qualifying and racing,’’ weekend would not be clear ‘‘And even then, there pionship after a solid week- will be tough to get through.’’ he said. until after tomorrow morn- might be teams who have end in Austin, Texas, last Winterbottom and FPR Winterbottom said tyres ing’s qualifying sessions. gone with different tyre month. He said different tyre have been strong in Darwin would be the key to a success- Teams are allocated just strategies — so some fast strategies, track conditions, the past few years, and he ful weekend. three sets of the Dunlop con- guys might end up at the the long run into Hidden Val- said a successful test at The 2.9km Hidden Valley trol tyre, and two sets of the back and some slower at the ley’s turn one and the nar- Winton in Victoria last week track sees the highest level of Dunlop Super Maxx sprint front. It’s going to be great for rowing of the track at turn-in had given the team a lift. tyre degradation on the tyre to use over the weekend. the fans.’’ Ford’s Mark Winterbottom PUB: NT NEWS Nissan driver RICK KELLY writes for the NT News DATE: DARWIN is a really excit- ing destination for the V8 Supercars Championship. It is an event that I really 14-JUN-2013 look forward to every year. You can’t turn up and not know the V8 circus is in town. The whole city really gets behind it and embraces the weekend. And this makes me proud to be able to pen a column for the NT News. I hope you PAGE: enjoy my insights over the coming days. To be honest, it’s a great time of year to escape the 60 Melbourne chill and enjoy a few days in the sun! COLOR: We’ve just come off the back of my most successful event this year in the Jack Daniel’s Nissan in Texas, and we’re really focused on trying to carry that momen- C tum into the rest of the season. Overall, the Austin, M Texas event was a terrific Y — for not only our team, but the sport in general. K At the end of the year, I’m hoping we look back on Texas and we pinpoint that John Bowe and his Mustang lead the pack around Hidden Valley during last year’s Touring Car Masters race Picture: JUSTIN SANSON as the round that it really turned around for us. With a couple of runs on the board now, we have a Bowe aiming to continue love affair with Darwin lot of confidence with the setup of our Altima, which By GREY MORRIS rounds of the 2013 series. primed for another domi- ’Stang when its engine forward to this weekend in will help us move forward. A two-time Touring Car nant weekend. failed. But Bowe still quali- Darwin,’’ Bowe said. We know that Darwin MOTOR racing icon John Masters champion, Bowe’s He swept the field and fied on the front row where ‘‘The fans are very has a very long straight Bowe is steering for another record is among the best in Sydney with another three he finished second, fourth enthusiastic and love the with a slow corner leading sweep of the Touring Car the class. pole starts and three wins and 11th. Touring Car Masters and it’s on to it, so that part of the Masters three-race program His 117 race starts have from three starts but fell Bowe has an eight-point a great track to race on. track is going to be tough at Hidden Valley Raceway produced 51 wins, 25 pole from grace at Perth’s lead over archrival Jim ‘‘I’ve enjoyed a fair bit of for us at our current stage this weekend. positions and 13 lap records. Barbagallo Raceway. Richards, with Andrew success up here and of development, but a lot of Bowe’s 1969 Ford Mustang Bowe won all three TCM One lap of the opening Miedecke set to pounce hopefully we can repeat our the other parts should be TransAm is leading the races from pole at Hidden practice session hurt on him. good Darwin form from quite good to us as well — points table after two Valley last year and is the normally bulletproof ‘‘I am really looking last year.’’ especially with the slippery track surface. In terms of the track sur- face, it is similar to Barbagallo Raceway in Competition fierce in support bracket at the Valley Perth, which saw our Nissan teammate James HOLDEN Commodores, HQ Andrew Maros is the favour- tough opposition to beat as make up the interstate since its inception in 2004. Moffat score three top 10s. Holdens and Improved ite to win the over two litre he aims for a fourth consecu- contingent, while locals Practice sessions this That is encouraging. Production cars will fill a class in his 340 V8 powered tive win in the prestigious Marian Bujnowski, Bob morning will precede after- As far as expectations go, 40-strong starting grid in the Chrysler Pacer. Supercar round. McDonald and Gary and noon qualifying in all I’ve got mixed feelings support bracket for V8 Reigning champion Craig Thirteen HQ Holdens are Caroline Pendlebury are three brackets. heading into the weekend, Supercar weekend. Wright and Darwin’s Ebone in the field, including among the challengers. Two eight-lap races but the important thing for The Improved Production Coats will be among the Victorian raider and Aust- The Commodore Cup has around the Hidden Valley us is to carry the momen- cars boast 18 machines in frontrunners in the under ralian No. 2 Warren Trewin nine drivers in the category. track tomorrow and one on tum that we’ve gained in separate over and under two two litres. in the No. 71 car. Father and son drivers Sunday will decide the Texas through the Darwin litre classes. Reigning HQ champion Queenslanders Jamie David and Steven Ling have overall points winners. event as we head towards Adelaide auctioneer Gavin Thompson has some Furness and Jason Brooker dominated the bracket — GREY MORRIS the endurance races. 60 NT NEWS. Friday, June 14, 2013. www.ntnews.com.au.