I will stick to Holden for a few years

It's good to have some security, however I'm not really sure how long the agreements go for. All I know is it's "multi years".

At least Holden has committed to more seasons in our sport which is important as the agreement was set to run out at the end of this year.

I'm happy to be driving Holdens, but I'd be happy to drive anything so long as it's with this team. This is the team that I enjoy racing with. They provide fantastic vehicles and we've had great results.

The Holden agreement has lifted a bit of a weight off our shoulders as we head into the season opener at Adelaide. This is where the season really should start, not in the Mid East as it has the past couple of years.

I've done every single event here and there only four of us who have done that - Garth Tander, Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy are the others.

I won the first event and three others - two in Fords and two in Holdens - but I've never claimed a win for this team. Hopefully I can start the year off well and change that record.

This is a circuit that demands respect. Street circuits are like that with their unforgiving surfaces, small run-off areas and forbidding concrete walls. There is simply no margin for error here.

This event often seems to throw up the extra challenge of wet or really hot weather. Thankfully this year the conditions look like being perfect with no rain predicted and temperatures in the low 20s. That should lead to some record qualifying and race laps.

While the mild weather might reduce the physical challenge of the weekend, it is still the hardest race of the year. There are 78 laps or 250km on Saturday and if you make a mistake and put it in the wall you could be out for the Sunday where you back up for another 78 laps.

Racing around the streets of Adelaide is not just a physical challenge, but also a mental challenge to get things right 100 per cent of the time. About 90 per cent of the corners are blind so you can't see around them or through them and you need to have lightning fast reactions for the whole of the weekend.

You also have to get good balance in the car set-up so it flows through the circuit, especially turn eight where you are travelling at 240km/h corner. It's pretty hair-raising if the car isn't behaving. Get it wrong and that corner can bite really hard.

I'm confident our car will be fine on this circuit after our initial testing at Sandown earlier this month where we were second fastest. The team has finessed the car with minor adjustments - nothing major - and hopefully we can carry the momentum and car speed from last year through to this year.

Look out for Tander who has a good record here, plus FPR and Stone Brothers who have very strong vehicles on street circuits. But I think my stiffest competition will come from the other side of our garage.

Jamie Whincup loves street circuits and his concentration will not be shaken by the sad loss of his father, David, on Sunday. We've spoken about it and he's obviously upset, but he's taking it well and is very appreciative of the well-wishes of fans and the respect shown for him and his family.

He's very focussed on what he has to do this weekend and this won't upset his preparation. He's mentally strong and understands the situation and will switch his brain on when he needs to. I was a bit disappointed with not getting a result in the Bathurst 12-Hour last weekend.

The Audi R8 was a much nicer car to drive this year because it shed a couple of kilos, had extra aero at the front, was better balanced and had a little more horsepower. However, the German team owner said he was very happy with us and would love to put Warren Luff and me in a car anytime we are over his side of the world.

It was great to spend some time with Luffy on the circuit where he will be my co-driver later this year. I think the weekend cemented that it's the right decision to go with him as my partner for the endurance events.