Blimey! Is it really that time of year?
Supercars are heading north to the land of sun and salties, and the Red Bull Holden Racing Team are looking forward to a ‘you beaut’ time in the Top End.
For Shane ‘SVG’ van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 Red Bull Holden Commodore, the Hidden Valley circuit has treated him well in the past, where he’s scored two wins and nine podiums since debuting in 2008.
“The racing in Darwin is always really competitive.
“The track was resurfaced a couple of years ago, so it’s really fast-paced. Overall, the racing at Hidden Valley is good and the fans up north are great – it’ll be so good to see them around the circuit again,” SVG said.
“This round will be an interesting one. They’ve kept the whacky tyre rules from Sydney, so we’re going to have to decide what the best strategies will be and try to do the best we can with the tyres we have.
“Our aim is to be competitive over the three races and try to bank as many points as we can.”
This year’s Darwin Triple Crown will be a special event for SVG, notching up his 400th Supercars Championship race start. Known for his love of scorching temperatures and intense humidity, we can’t think of a better place to celebrate his milestone.
For Jamie ‘JDub’ Whincup, SVG’s teammate since 2016, watching the Kiwi climb through the motorsport ranks over the years has been memorable to watch.
“It’s been awesome to watch first-hand the shy, skinny kid from New Zealand come of age and be one of the best touring car competitors the world has seen,” JDub said of SVG’s achievement.
“He was fast out of the blocks, ruffled a few feathers early on, and now has a deadly mix of raw speed and experience in the prime of his career. He’s been a fantastic teammate that I have enjoyed so many great battles with.”
So, if you’re up the Top End of town this weekend, make sure you ‘hava gander’ at the Supercars action – we look forward to seein’ ya there!
