AUS Utes: Series Hidden Valley Fast Facts

10 Fast Facts about V8 Utes at Hidden Valley Raceway Darwin

1) The Hidden Valley Circuit is 2.87km long and has 14 turns.

2) Hidden Valley Raceway has one of the fastest straights at 1.1km long.

3) Gary Baxter set the first ever record in 2005 in Race 1 in a time of 1:24.08 and held onto it until Race 1, 2006 when it was broken by Kerry Wade in a time of; 1:23.57.

4) The current lap record is held by Grant Johnson from Race 1, 2009 in a time of 1:23.1990. Johnson broke his own record last year, by 0.7 hundredths, a time which he held onto since Race 3, 2006.

5) Race 3 in 2007 was the closest ever V8 Ute race with Jack Elsegood taking out Grant Johnson in a photo finish by one one-hundredth of a second to claim the round.

6) The V8 Utes have raced at Hidden Valley five times including; 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

7) Nine of the 32 V8 Ute drivers competing in the 2009 Season have raced at Hidden Valley all five times they include: Gary Baxter, Jack Elsegood, Kim Jane, Grant Johnson, Charlie Kovacs, Robert Jarvis, Nandi Kiss, Yanis Derums and Greg Willis.

8) Grant "Grunta" Johnson has the best track record at Hidden Valley posting four out of five possible podiums including two wins (2009, 2006), one second (2007) and one third (2005).

9) There will be a father son battle between Colin (Dad) and Ben Dunn (Son). This will be the third time the two have raced against each other the other times, Queensland Raceway 2008 and Sydney Telstra 500 2009. The Dunn's raced together in the "Ten Years of Legends" Race at the Clipsal 500 earlier in the year.

10) Slamboy Racing/ NT Shippings, Scott "Slamboy" Jennings, will celebrate his 100th Race in Darwin when he takes to the grid for Race 1.

-source: aus v8 utes