The Gold Coast 600 is upon us and it’s set to another big one this year as the city gets around it for an action-packed weekend in the sun. We chat to the drivers to see what they like best about the GC600:
Jamie “J-Dub” Whincup
“If Bathurst is any indication, the GC600 is going to be a fair challenge – we expected to go there with a bit of pace and it wasn’t to be, so the area of focus this weekend is having a car that’s competitive enough to win the race. And although they’re 300km races, it’s such a tight, twisty track with limited passing opportunities so qualifying is definitely important. The toughest thing about the GC is the chicanes – the first chicane and back chicanes are sometimes a bit of a lottery so getting through the whole weekend unscathed, through the chicanes, is hard work in itself. Anything that can happen will happen as it’s a concrete canyon and you’re going flat out for the whole 300 kilometres. I really enjoy street tracks and it’s my home event so it’s nice to sleep at home in your own bed and ride my motorbike in each day. The track is only a hop, skip and a jump to the beach, full of young people there for a good time – I think it’s one of the best events in the calendar. There will still be plenty of pressure but I’m trying to lap up the atmosphere and have a good time.”
Paul “PD” Dumbrell – Car #88 Co-driver
“I’m really looking to the GC600 and that it’s warmer weather than Bathurst! With the GC being a very tight street track, on soft tyres, we have a big change in car setup to ensure that we have great tyre life throughout the whole race. There really is no margin for error! But I do love street tracks, they are high risk and high reward, but very fulfilling when you get them 100%. The GC600 is one of the best events in Australia, the crowd and atmosphere is electric, and the whole city gets behind the race!!!”
Shane “SVG” van Gisbergen – Car #97 Driver
“We had a pretty good driver debrief about Bathurst and will hopefully improve in a lot of areas moving forward this week. The week before the GC600 I’ll go drifting, have some fun and then get straight back into it. It’s going to be a tough race; it’s a lot hotter now than it was a few weeks ago, so it’s a hot and tough race for both drivers. The street circuit is full on the whole way around the big curves, you get to go close to the walls, it’s pretty exciting. The shootout is epic as you can watch everyone push the limits, but I hate the heat. Being able to stay at the house is great because I will have a few friends coming over for the race.
Matty Campbell – Car #97 Co-driver
“At the GC600 we’re hoping to build on our speed from the previous two rounds of the Enduro Cup, coming close to a podium and to see what Shane and I can do. It’s great that it’s only a couple of hours from, set right next to the beach and a two-race format unlike Sandown and Bathurst. The atmosphere is something you’ve got to experience as well – it’s s different from any other event!”
