“I can't say that there is any one single thing missing. this is a full on championship with a lot of competitive cars and very good teams if there was some bit of magic that you chucked in the last bit I'd do it tomorrow.”
Jamie Whincup has joined Triple Eight in 2006 as second-driver. Round wins at Adelaide and Bathurst have been the highlight, and Dane is confident he can improve on that in 2007.
“Jamie hasn't been as consistent as we'd like this year but when he's been on the money he's been right on the money,” said Dane.
“His two outstanding drives for the season were at Adelaide under big pressure and also at Bathurst under more pressure. His drive at Bathurst was the drive of the race - the way he handled the pressure of driving Craig's car as it were, but he was the one who also took the lead of the race and it put in a really pretty stunning performance.
“He's more than justified his place in the team.”
With Betta Electrical going into receivership this year, sponsor funding appears to have been cut to the Gold Coast-based operation. However a lucrative deal with Vodafone for 2007 has seen the team, despite possible adorning a red livery to conflict with Ford blue next year, secure high income for championship next.
Vodafone's sponsorship presence in Australia has been significant. The company was a foundation sponsor of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League in 1997, national volleyball teams, and is the major sponsor of the English Cricket Squad currently touring the Great South Land for the current Ashes series.
“They're pretty much the biggest sponsor in motor racing in the world now that tobacco money has fallen off the edge and were very proud to have them on board, and it's at least a three year deal,” said Dane on the new sponsorship with Vodafone.
“We've also got a number of other sponsors coming on board including Sony Ericsson so we've got some good names there and it reflects well not only on the team but also the championship as a whole.”
Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup are expected to run a revised livery this weekend to reflect a new promotion for Vodafone as Betta Electrical is removed from the official Triple Eight livery design. To win the championship Lowndes must beat Rick Kelly but eight points from the round – a scenario that can be achieved if he finishes ahead of him in each race.
