Plenty of opportunity

I have to agree that the racing has been brilliant.  Even on circuits like Winton where it can be boring because there are limited places to pass, the softer and gripier Dunlops provided plenty of passing opportunities.

It made for very entertaining racing, not only for the spectators, but also for us drivers.  However, I don't think the format for this year should be changed when we are halfway through the season.

We can definitely use it at other events to improve the racing and the passing opportunities, but it shouldn't be used in the long-distance events because the tyre hasn't got the structure for durability.

Rounds such as Townsville, Darwin and maybe the Gold Coast could certainly do with it.  But not until next year.

Let's sit down and think it through and work out which circuits could be improved by running on the sprint tyres and then make the decision at the start of the year so the teams can work out their strategies.  We all still have a lot of work to do to get a full understanding of this tyre.

It generates a lot more grip and we're always looking for more turn in the car, but that means we have to adjust our car settings and balance.  We also have to get our heads around how it heats up and reacts to ambient temperatures.

At a cold track like Winton, the tyre can actually act like glass rather than rubber until it heats up and if you charge too hard before it gets to the right temperature you can effectively rip grain-sized pieces off the tyre.  These are the sorts of things we need to sort out.

Anyway, we had a ball at Queensland Raceway and then again at Winton with these tyres.  We ran two totally different strategies last Saturday and Sunday and I'm happy to say they were the right ones both times.

I was concerned about the Saturday strategy of pitting late because of the lack of pace in the middle of the race, but it worked out well. My race engineer Jeromy Moore and the team made a good choice.  At the end we had massive closing speed and grip, so I was able to pass a stack of cars.

Sunday was a different format because it was a longer race with two pit stops instead of one.  Our last stop was forced by the safety car and we stopped straight away which worked out well.

However, knowing we still had about 24 laps to go, I was worried about our car having consistent pace and longevity.  Full marks to James Courtney and Dick Johnson's team.  James drove a very sensible couple of races for the second round in a row.

He's matured a lot in the past year and he's driving really well. He's also not making the mistakes he did last year.  He's not just leading races, but also showing he's able to come through the pack like he did on Sunday when he started in sixth on the grid. He showed plenty of patience and good strategy.

I don't think this is a matter of Ford gaining the ascendancy in the series, but simply that this team now has two years of development under their belt and they are getting the best out of their cars.  I know just how good that Triple 8-spec car is.

It's also a good combination of car, team and driver. It be will be a hard combination to beat.  However, in just two rounds the whole top 10 has changed dramatically, so no one is unbeatable.

From my point of view, I've come from eighth to fifth to third and am now only 108 points off my teammate, Jamie, and 222 off Courtney.  With more than half a season to go that puts me within striking distance and gaining momentum.

It's a far cry from how I was at this time last year when I was fading the other way.  Needless to say, Jamie is bitterly disappointed with the results from the past two rounds.

On Sunday he had a flat left hand tyre and got caught out in the gravel. It wasn't the result he was hoping for.  But knowing him, he will no doubt strive harder to bridge the gap and then try to get back the lead.

The next two events in Darwin and Townsville will be crucial to the championship, knowing we have an eight-week mid-season break.  Everyone will want to go into that break with the momentum behind them.