Great start to the season

I hadn't driven with Mark Skaife for 10 years when we paired up last year for the enduros and what a pairing that turned out to be, winning Philip Island and Bathurst.  Now we're back again for the enduros this year, but with a distinct advantage of time.

Last year we announced the pairing much later in the season, giving us little time to prepare.  This year we'll be much better prepared and with Skaifey at every round for his TV commentary duties, we'll be able to get him in the car much more often.

That means we'll be able to keep him sharp and on the pace which is important because each year the competition gets tougher and tougher.
Also, Skaifey should be able to help us develop the car throughout the season.

I'm absolutely delighted. Skaifey was always my first choice as co-driver.  He's also rapt and looking forward to the challenge.

He says the surroundings are familiar and the car is the one he wants to be in.  Of course, the only problem is that with him on six Bathurst wins and me on five, if we keep drving together on the mountain, I'll never be able to catch up or beat his wins.

But hey, I wouldn't be too disappointed if after Bathurst this year I've got six and he's got seven.  We have a whole new team structure and some new people this season so it'll be interesting to see how the new team dynamic shapes up.

Our first test will be at Eastern Creek in Sydney this weekend when all the V8 Supercar teams will be present for a shake-down and fan day.  It should be a very special occasion, even though we don't race at Eastern Creek in the V8 calendar. That should make it a neutral base for all the teams, no matter what manufacturer or where the team is based.

We have to use the hard tyre up until lunch time, then we swap to the soft tyre in the arvo so we get an opportunity to test both set-ups on the one track.  Because we are returning this year with basically the same car as last year plus a few minor tweaks made over the break, we will just be sorting out the plumbing and working on any problems that arise.

There won't be any testing for lap times or speed as the track is not relevant for that.  Apart from giving the teams a chance to set up their cars for the year, it will also be a great opportunity for the fans to see all the new liveries and get some autographs.

The event should attract a huge crowd as we don't get to Sydney on a permanent track throughout the year.  I'll also be making a mental note of who is driving what and the new colour schemes so I can pick them out in the rearview mirror.

I'm sure the drivers will also be happy to get in behind the wheel again after a long break and shake out some of the cobwebs before we get to Abu Dhabi in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I'll get another hit-out in the driver's seat when I compete in an Audi R8 in the Bathurst 12-Hour.  I couldn't be in a better team. The Audi Sport Team Joest is the most successful Le Mans team of all time with 11 wins under its belt.

Even though the car will take some getting used to, at least I know the track very well and should make a good impression.  Could it lead to something else? Who knows?

This is just a first step for me and we'll see what we can deliver.  Hopefully I can forge a relationship with the team that could lead to something bigger and better like a Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Roland was good enough to allow my race engineer, Jeromy to come down to observe the race.  It will be a great learning experience for him to see how one of the world's greatest motorsport teams operates.

He'll also be able a help to me in the sense that it will be a familiar face and he might also be able to interpret any problems I have with car setup to the other engineers.  He may also be able to give them an insight into how we operate.

I spent Australia Day picking up my neighbour and motocross training partner, George Knight, from the hospital after he crashed his dirt bike.  It's a good sport to help me train for racing, but his crash is a warning. Crashing is one of those things I'm always very conscious of.

I always thought it would be me having an accident not him with all his experience.  I wish him a speedy recovery as well as V8 driver Jason Richards.

I got an email to say he's seeking treatment in the US for his cancer.  You hear about people getting cancer, but when you get someone fairly close to you in the industry it hits home pretty hard.  I'd love to see him back on track for the sake of his family, but also because he's a great competitor.