Casey Stoner will cut his first laps of the Mount Panorama Circuit in anger during the Dunlop Series practice session that kicks-off proceedings at the 2013 Supercheap Auto 1000 this morning.
The two-time MotoGP world champion heads into the penultimate round of his rookie season mired in 18th on the points table and says he’s aiming to simply stay out of trouble this weekend.
The 27-year-old drove a production-based V8 ride car at Bathurst during a drive day in February, where he was given pointers by two-time Great Race winner John Bowe
Stoner, who has already stated that he plans on taking a sabbatical from full-time racing next year, returned to Bathurst on Wednesday after his latest test with the Repsol Honda MotoGP outfit in Japan.
“I’m really just looking forward to these last couple of events and hoping that I can get away without being tangled up in something,” he said, before stressing his enjoyment of the layout.
“Most of the circuit’s I’ve been to with nice undulations are more modern circuits that have been designed on a computer and just sort of plonked on a bit of land.
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“They don’t flow with the land nearly as nicely as this circuit. I’d say the only other circuit I can compare to this is Phillip Island.
“That’s completely different, but the fact that it still flows with the countryside is very unique, and we have both of those circuits in Australia.”
Stoner’s Red Bull-Pirtek Holden is garaged in the main pit complex at Bathurst; a move that has caused some angst among fellow Dunlop Series outfits.
The car is being serviced next to Triple Eight’s Xbox One wildcard entry for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with which it is sharing several crew members.
The remaining 31 cars in the second-tier series are this year being housed in marquees within the main V8 Supercars paddock having previously sat in the support area.
See below for a team video with Stoner ahead of the weekend
