I have had another taste of V8 supercar racing from another perspective of late.

On the other side of the pit lane and let me tell you, it's nearly as difficult as driving!

Let me explain, for the Hamilton round and the same last weekend at Queensland Raceway, I had a more intimate involvement, being much more actively involved in the pit lane.  Make no mistake, our V8 supercar series is the toughest most competitive series in the world.  At Queensland Raceway  the difference between the front of the grid and the back was less than one percent .  In many cases only one tenth of a second can move you 3 or 4 rows on the grid.

It is incredibly demanding to everyone involved, not just the drivers but the engineers, the strategists, the tyre guys and of course the mechanics all play a vital role in the success or failure of a v8 supercar team.   For young guys without the benefit of years of experience, this can be a daunting prospect, but it's impossible to learn and gain this experience without going into the lion's den so to speak.

The Queensland round and the upcoming Winton event we'll  run using the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx Sprint tyre.   What this means is that its softer and has considerably more grip but it also deteriorates at a much faster rate and rewards drivers with a smooth and flowing style.

It also makes the difference in set ups from qualifying to the race very critical. To explain more fully, to qualify the car only has to be quick over one lap , so the suspension is adjusted to make the car turn more accurately and carry mid corner speed.   Each stint in the race is something like 20 to 25 laps, so tyres have to be treated with respect and driven with a delicate touch to conserve the performance.  There is always a mind battle in a drivers head, go maximum attack on the fresh tyres and risk them dying or pace the car with nice smooth driving and have better tyres at the end, particularly if the pace car comes out and bunches the field up again.  It's easy to pass other cars when their tyres are stuffed.

I am happy to say that young Tim Slade is doing a great job this year in the Wilson Security FG Falcon, he Is fighting above his weight in my opinion, especially considering his very limited experience in V8 supercars.   He is also very people friendly which is great for the fans and customers.   I think he can go a long way in the sport , he just needs to keep focused , keep learning and drive with sense and wisdom.  It's not easy for a young bloke but Tim is well up to the task.

Another driver I have been working with lately is Karl Reindler,  who is part of the Wilson Security young driver development program.   He is also a youngster with unlimited potential. He is a former open wheel champion which is a bonus in my book. That fact helps develop sensitivity to set up changes that can prove invaluable in years to come.

On more veteran subjects, which is how I describe myself, my mighty Mustang will be racing in the AutObarn Touring Car Masters  Series at Winton. Whilst I Had the fastest car at the Clipsal meeting for round one, the winning result eluded me and I had to settle for 5th overall.   Needless to say I am hoping for better at Winton.

I must have done 10 thousand laps at Winton over the years, nobody knows Winton better than me, but the competition among these old war horses is pretty intense.  I mean the cars, not the drivers when I say war horses.

I hope to see you all at the track soon.

Keep racing, JB.