As a test track for the majority of Holden teams in the championship (barring the Queensland based Team Sirromet Wines and Team Kiwi Racing), Winton has unsurprisingly favoured Commodore outfits over the years. Typically this is a place of Holden Racing Team domination – with Mark Skaife and Jason Bright winning in 2001 and 2002 respectively, before a brief period of Blue during Marcos Ambrose’s 2003 dominance, before McConville won the last event in 2004.
It certainly appears like a good chance for a Holden Racing Team podium heading into this fourth championship round. Mark Skaife sits atop the points ladder on adjusted scores, and as he has won at Winton previously in addition to testing here, the Pukekohe round winner appears set for a strong showing – should he win here, Skaife will eclipse the all time winning record held by ATCC legend Peter Brock.
“I’ve probably done more laps of that track than just about anywhere else so I’m hoping that stands us in good stead,” said Skaife.
“Having said that, it’s all about what happens on the day and how well you put your strategy together, as we saw in Perth.
“We know we will roll a good car out of the truck, so we just have to make sure we manage the weekend well and stay on top of variables such as the weather and Safety Cars. Todd’s (teammate Todd Kelly) experience in Perth reinforces that simply having a fast car isn’t enough.”
Kelly is looking to recover what has been a disastrous turn in his championship campaign. After finishing on the podium at Adelaide, Kelly has endured two rounds where he finished outside of the top twenty and will hope his fortunes turn around in country Victoria.
“It makes life difficult for all of the team when you know you can’t afford another bad result, but being the underdog is also something I enjoy,” said Kelly.
“My natural instinct is to be an attacking driver and in the past when I’ve gone into preservation mode and driven conservatively, that’s when I run into trouble.
