R3S PREV - Bright to guard lead at Sydney's 'Creek
27/4/2001 0:28 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Jason Bright will look to consolidate his position atop the Shell Championship Series while jealously guarding it from his team-mate Mark Skaife when the V8 Supercars storm Sydney for round three at Eastern Creek Raceway this weekend.
Bright holds a generous 75-point lead over Skaife in the championship tussle following his Adelaide points windfall. But even with a brand-new HRT VX Commodore at his disposal, the one-time Indy star says it’s not nearly enough.
"Heading into the third round of the series with the Championship lead, doesn't really change your approach to the weekend," he said. "You still go there to do the best possible job; a 75-point lead is appreciated but it's not enough at this early stage of proceedings.
"It's great being in a brand new car for the weekend but in reality, it's not all that different to the one we raced in Adelaide."
After a trying but solid run in Adelaide, Skaife is breathing down Bright’s exhaust pipe. The defending champion will start as a short-priced favourite, having dominated the Eastern Creek round the past two years.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to Eastern Creek, as its been a happy hunting ground for the Holden Racing Team for the past couple of years,” Skaife said.
“The circuit should suit us as it's very similar to Phillip Island and after a relatively disappointing Adelaide meeting for me, it will be good to get back to a high-speed, flowing circuit such as the 'Creek."
Further back, it’s a logjam of wannabe winners; including Russell Ingall, Steven Johnson, Todd Kelly and ominous Ford man, Craig Lowndes.
Johnson could very well be Ford’s best hope this weekend, as he continues to silence his critics with new-found aggression and maturity.
"I’ve been on the podium now a few times but it’s the top step that matters – that’s my aim and Eastern Creek would be a great place to start,” Johnson, third at the Clipsal 500, said.
His team-mate Paul Radisich is some 500 points off the pace coming into round three, but could so easily have been the series leader. Controversial dust-ups in the opening rounds has ‘the Rat’ starved for points, and looking to claw his way back into contention this weekend.
Buoyed by recent testing, shock Adelaide race winner Lowndes, too, is after the lion’s share. "This season, and the 2001 championship is not over by a long shot,” he said. “There’s some 288 points up for grabs this weekend, and we’re after as many as we can get!”
K-Mart racers Greg Murphy and Todd Kelly are expected to continue their attention-grabbing form, while the rejuvinated Ford-Tickford pair of Glenn Seton and Steven Richards will be right in the hunt.
John Bowe will be one to keep an eye on also, debuting CAT Racing’s latest Falcon. While confident, Bowe says the Queensland-built Ford is, “evolutionary rather than revolutionary."
Others have the job ahead of them. 13 drivers will do battle later today in the do-or-die pre-qualifying shootout, six of which – David Besnard, Cameron McConville, Rodney Forbes, Paul Romano (now aboard the Adelaide pole-setting Murphy Commodore) and Dean Canto among them – will be sent home early.
The jury’s still out on the two 100km ‘semi-enduros,’ which again greet the drivers and teams this weekend. With passing so difficult at the challenging 3.9km circuit, compulsory pits stops for tyres and fuel will be the key to success.
Mother Nature is predicted to rain on the Supercars’ Sydney homecoming parade throughout the weekend.
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