The journey began with a 4,000 km truck drive to reach the top end of Australia for the Darwin Round, and soon enough starts to take shape as #55 rolls out of the transporter and the pit bay becomes an endless hive of activities.
'I am looking forward to my second time at Hidden Valley. It is a different format to last year. We have a 100km race Saturday and a 200km race Sunday rather then the three sprint races we had last year. To add to the excitment we have a set of soft tyres to be used during the round as well as compulsary fuel stops in place. We found the track quite abrasive last year, struggling with power off the line and rear grip. We have addressed the issues, and hope for some good results this year'.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for The Bottle-O Team to get to Darwin,
'Our flight was delayed due to heavy fog in Melbourne, therefore causing us to miss our connecting flight from Alice Springs to Darwin. We got re directed to Sydney, to Cairns and then to Darwin! We were all exhausted by the time we landed, it was a long day.
With temperatures expected to reach the 30's the physical demand on the driver is enormous,
'I have been training hard trying to prepare myself for the heat. We have come from the cold of Tasmania and Winton to the heat of the Northern Territory, it's a complete contrast. I am ready for what ever Darwin has to offer though'.
Practice starts with three sessions on Friday, be sure to watch the green machine, as it takes on Hidden Valley Raceway.
Last Modified on 19/06/2009 20:46