"I'm really confident of the team's handle on the car's setup, we were second quickest here last year and we found a great compromise with handling also -- Oran Park is one of the last remaining bumpy tracks and given the tightness it is often difficult to pass.
"I've had some pretty good results here in the past and got the fourth placing last year even with a drive through penalty, I'm just hoping to make it through all the congestion there will be down at turn one in the reverse grid race."
Ford Performance Racing drivers Jason Bright and Mark Winterbottom will also be dark horses this weekend, with both FPR Falcons showing very good pace at every round since the Clipsal 500 this year. Both Bright and ‘Frosty’ will attempt to claim FPR’s first win for the 2006 championship.
"I haven't won a round at Oran Park and it would be great to be able to do that this weekend," said Bright.
"The recent circuits that we have raced at didn't have any elevation changes, so it will be great unleashing the CAT FPR Falcon on this kind of undulating circuit.
"There are many corners to get right at this venue and the surface can be tricky as well, so there is no doubt that the weekend will be a challenging one."
"This is my only home race of the season so I am very keen to make it a memorable one," said Winterbottom.
"Oran Park is without a doubt the most demanding circuit of the season in terms of chassis set-up. It is a major challenge to get your car absolutely right there. This is why it is so rewarding when you can achieve a victory there, which for me was back in 2002 in a Formula Ford.
"I really like the circuit layout because of the fact that it is so challenging for every driver."
Oran Park will get underway with a longer practice session before three sprint races, one being a reverse-grid event, on Saturday and Sunday. The Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series will also support the main series this weekend for its third support event of the year.
