Caruso’s Corner: Preparing for Perth

Heading into round five of the 2018 Supercars Championship at Barbagallo in Perth this weekend is a great opportunity to head over west and it’s the only time of year we get to go over and enjoy that side of the country, but it won’t be short of some challenges.

The race is very well supported over there, particularly because we only visit once, and as a driver it’s a really good race to go to because you love not only great race tracks and facilities but also when they are well supported. Plus, you always enjoy heading to a racetrack that promises good weather.

When you do get into town there’s that feeling that gives it a good vibe and helps with the positive flow for what will be a race weekend that’s pretty important at this stage of the year.

But once we get off that plane on Thursday morning it’s game on. Everyone will be in the zone and thinking how we can do the absolute best to get the most out of yourself.

The conditions over west are also a huge change from last weekend at Phillip Island where we finished fifth and recorded our best result of the season so far, but we’re across the new challenge and keen to maintain our momentum.

One of the biggest hurdles we will face is Barbagallo’s jagged surface because tyre degradation over there is second to none. It’s really going to test the cars and the drivers, so we’re preparing as best we can to deal with that.

Apart from race strategy we’re coming off a good result at Phillip Island which is important for both the driver and the rest of the crew to keep the flow going. Ultimately we’ve been running in the top ten for virtually every event this year but to finish in the top five at the island was important, not just personally but for the guys in the team. And when you’re talking about sixty-odd people working in a business it is pretty important to have those guys motivated and confident in what we are doing each day and week. Like any business you want to enjoy what you are doing!

Well we’ve shown that the Drive Racing team has got the pace to finish in the top positions and we’re keen to keep that going in the race at Perth. The category will also be using the knockout qualifying format this weekend, first used in Tasmania a few weeks back, so I can’t wait to get going!