AFTER a gruelling two weeks in the Middle East, Adelaide will host the first round on home soil of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship this weekend with the largest domestic motorsport event held in the country where over a quarter of a million patrons are again expected trackside over four days at the picturesque Victoria Park circuit, to witness the stars and cars fight for supremacy in this year's series.
The former Formula 1 street circuit is renowned for being one of the best in the world.
Shortened from its original Grand Prix length by 700 metres to 3.2-kilometres, the circuit is very busy from inside the cockpit, a concrete cauldron with little room for error in a significant test for drivers in twin 250 km races, which are both physically and mentally demanding and tough mechanically on the 600 bhp Supercars.
Apart from the run down the back straight, drivers get very few opportunities to relax.
The 2010 V8 Supercar field is being touted as the strongest ever with eight to 10 drivers in with a realistic chance to win in Adelaide.
Dual series champion Jamie Whincup started the new season in the best possible fashion in the new Triple 888 Commodore taking the chequered flag in all four races in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and has a formidable record on the Parklands circuit.
Whincup was in sparkling form in season-opening Clipsal 500 in 2009, dominating both 78 lap races, becoming the first driver to win the Adelaide event three times.
A host of Ford backed hotshots including youngster Shane Van Gisbergen, Mark Winterbottom, and James Courtney had promising starts in the opening two rounds and will be looking to consolidate their early form in Adelaide.
Craig Lowndes flew the flag for Holden in the Middle East in what turned out to be a poor start to the season for the General.
The Kelly Boys Todd and Rick in the new Team Kelly Racing outfit and early season championship favourite Garth Tander and teammate Will Davison all had poor starts in the opening four races and will be looking to turn their fortunes around in South Australia.
Whincup's unbeaten run sees him head into the Australian rounds at the Clipsal 500 with a perfect score.
Mark Winterbottom holds second place in the series from Shane van Gisbergen, Craig Lowndes and James Courtney.
The Clipsal 500 in Adelaide first run in 1999 has been recognised on four occasions as the winner of the 'Major Festivals and Events' category at the Australian Tourism Awards (2003/04, 2005, 2007 and 2008), demonstrating the event is more than a motor race, comparing with the best the country has to offer in the fields of the arts, sports, or one-off spectaculars.
The South Australian Government does not miss out on the action either.
Prior to this year's event the Clipsal meeting, now in its 12th year has provided economic benefits totalling $179.8m, with a record crowd of 272,400 in 2008.
Employment as a result of the event has increased to 330 full-time job equivalents, while the media benefit (that is the value of international and national television, radio and press coverage) had grown by 36 percent over the past four years with the total value being $87.67m.
AUSSIE UTE LEGENDS
Steven Bradbury, Paul Morris, Cameron McConville, Charlie O'Brien, Andrew Miedecke, Tony Longhurst, Max Dumesny, Leanne Tander, Steve Owen, Luke Youlden and Robbie Madison are just a few of the names on the entry list for Round 1 of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series at the Clipsal 500 meeting.
The legends will battle for outright honours in the 'Ten Years of Legends' race, a celebration of a decade of door to door V8 ute racing.
All previous V8 ute champions will be in attendance over the weekend including inaugural winner Rod Wilson, Marcus Zukanovic, Grant Johnson, Layton Crambrook and reigning champ Jack Elsegood.
Back to back winners Warren Luff (2002/03) and Damien White (2004/05) will be viewing from the sideline with Luff as the driver standards advisor for the V8 ute category and White in between his duties as Fujitsu V8 Supercar operations manager.
The V8 Ute Racing Series has accumulated 170 laps of Adelaide Parklands circuit over the years with Adelaide's Charlie 'Handlebars' Kovacs celebrating his 10th appearance, Gary Baxter and Jack Elsegood racking up nine appearances.
SAFE MOTORING
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