R5 PREV - Undiplomatic showdown in nation's capital
7/6/2002 0:42 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Steven Johnson isn’t a big fan of Canberra’s spectacularly awkward 3.9km street course. But he has fond memories of his visit to the national capital last year.
"My memories of Canberra last year are obviously very special,” the Shell Helix racer said, delighted to be returning to the scene of his breakthrough round victory.
The 2001 Canberra 400 marked his arrival as a respected V8 Supercar force. After a demoralising initiation to the V8 Supercar ranks, a fitter, faster more formidable Johnson emerged in Canberra to surprise everyone and take the spoils.
A year on, he’s still a respected force. But sitting ninth in the championship, he hasn’t had the impact in 2002 that he would like.
He hopes the chilly Canberra climate will evoke that winning feeling once more.
“I would love to relive that experience," he said.
"We’ve shown that the speed is there, so Canberra sounds like a great place to show that we’re very much a force in V8 Supercars."
The Canberra street circuit may be the only venue in the country where Ford could claim to have the edge.
Holden has never won in Canberra. Mind you, it’s a short history: then Ford driver Steven Richards took out the inaugural event in 2000 and Johnson was last year’s winner.
One Ford driver, at least, will be close enough if he’s good enough this weekend – Marcos Ambrose.
The 25-year-old Stone Brothers Racing sensation has, fittingly, reverted to an old political mantra in his quest to derail the Holden Racing Team juggernaut.
"I know little about 1970s politics," he said, "but I can tell you ‘It's time’ to beat those HRT blokes."
Well may we say god save the Queen, as Gough Whitlam also said, because nothing will save Mark Skaife's rivals.
The elusive V8 leader is on a record roll, bagging the first four rounds of the series.
The championship is also, seemingly, in the bag. A politician would have already claimed victory, but a typically focussed Skaife is waiting on the postal votes.
Still, his unbeatable start to the season can’t continue forever and the concrete-lined Canberra streets could easily bring him undone – even if just momentarily.
"Without doubt there's plenty of opportunity for things to go against you," he said.
"The key is applying a bit of risk management and taking a careful approach. If you can stay out of trouble – or rebound back quickly from a setback – and score good points, then you can say it's been a good weekend.”
It may be Australia’s diplomatic heart, but V8 Supercar racing in Canberra is more like Question Time in parliament. It’s loud, unruly, hostile, and inevitably, someone gets hurt.
Minor modifications have been made to the circuit, theoretically opening up two more overtaking positions, but the bump-and-grind approach will still be the most effective.
"A good lap of Canberra is always intense with aggressive corners, big curves and plenty of bumps,” Ambrose said.
“The circuit is narrow and the walls always seem very close. Overtaking moves here require a lot of bravery; successful ones require well-calculated bravery.”
Then, put the fast cars at the back of the grid, for the reverse grid race two of three on Sunday morning, tempt the drivers with a lucrative points purse, and you have a recipe for some thrilling – or disastrous – racing.
Either way, it’ll be worth watching.
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