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Bahrain: Jack Daniel's Racing preview

JACK DANIEL'S RACING PAIRING LOOK TO BIG THINGS IN BAHRAIN Jack Daniel's Racing pairing Todd and Rick Kelly are aiming for big results in the second leg of the V8 Supercar Middle Eastern swing at the Gulf Air Desert 400 in Sakhir, Bahrain this ...

JACK DANIEL'S RACING PAIRING LOOK TO BIG THINGS IN BAHRAIN

Jack Daniel's Racing pairing Todd and Rick Kelly are aiming for big results in the second leg of the V8 Supercar Middle Eastern swing at the Gulf Air Desert 400 in Sakhir, Bahrain this weekend.

Rick Kelly finished in fourth place at the second race in Abu Dhabi aboard his #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore and is determined to repeat that form in Bahrain.

Todd Kelly had no luck last week in Abu Dhabi, but rather than dwell on two poor finishes, Kelly is viewing the Bahrain event as a fresh start to his 2010 campaign.

Todd Kelly is a former race winner at the Bahrain International Circuit and has always showed strong pace at the desert venue.

He is also one of only two drivers to have raced on the longer Grand Prix layout in Bahrain, which will be used by V8 Supercars for the first time this weekend for two 200-kilometre races.

JACK DANIEL'S RACING QUOTEBOARD

Todd Kelly - #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:

QUESTION: Given that you didn't score many points in Abu Dhabi, do you need to be conservative here in Bahrain or do you attack full-on?

"I'm looking at it as more of a fresh start," said Todd Kelly.

"The first round was a disaster and I've put that behind me.

"This track looks unreal. We had the car working really well last time we were at this place and the bit that they've added is a really cool piece of track.

"It looks like it will be really enjoyable to drive on and I can't wait to get out there and see what the car will do.

"I'm a lot more confident this weekend, especially with how we have gone here in the past."

QUESTION: You are one of the few drivers who has raced on the longer version of the Bahrain track. Are you pleased that we now include the extra section of the circuit?

"I was here in the Chevrolet Lumina Series cars when they first came over here. It wasn't all that many miles and it was a long time ago, but it was a really enjoyable piece of track and when we did come here to race our cars I was pretty disappointed that we didn't get to use it.

"I've said each year we raced here how much of a shame it is to be leaving all that track up there on the hill and not using it so it's great to come back here and finally get to drive on it in our Jack Daniel's Commodores."

Rick Kelly - #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:

"I definitely believe we can take our pace from Abu Dhabi into Bahrain," said Rick Kelly.

"I think that something we can carry over to the next event is actually how well our team is working together.

"It's unreal at the moment, especially between Swenno (David Swenson, Race Engineer, #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore) and I - it's like we've been working together for 10 years.

"The confidence we gained from Abu Dhabi as a team is great and the car pace we had with the #15 Jack Daniel's Commodore was good. We can fiddle with what we've got a little bit, refine it and aim to be even better in Bahrain.

"I think the fact that the track is longer this year is a bonus because we performed well last week at a track we have never been to before in Abu Dhabi, so on the new layout we should again be strong and certainly I am aiming to be in the top five."

KEY FACTS:

- Todd Kelly one of select few to have driven on Bahrain GP layout ...

* Jack Daniel's Racing driver Todd Kelly is one of only a handful of drivers in this weekend's V8 Supercar field to have driven on the 5.41-kilometre 'Grand Prix' layout of the Bahrain International Circuit

* Kelly and fellow Holden driver Garth Tander were guest drivers in the Chevrolet Lumina Series event in Bahrain at the 2006 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahraini Grand Prix

- Todd Kelly has strong form in overseas events ...

* Todd Kelly won the first Asian event in V8 Supercar history by winning at the Shanghai International Circuit in 2005 (winning Race 1, Race 3 and the event overall)

* Todd Kelly also scored a race win (Race 3) and second overall at the first V8 Supercar event held in the Middle East at the Bahrain International Circuit in 2006

- Kellys welcome DFS aboard for Middle East double header ...

* Todd and Rick Kelly will welcome DFS Galleria to their team for the V8 Supercar events in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. DFS signage will be paired with 'Jack Lives Here' branding on the two distinctive black Commodores driven by the Kelly brothers, with Jack Daniel's logos removed from the cars, equipment and team uniforms for the two events in the Middle East

* DFS is the world's leading luxury retailer catering to the travelling public. Founded in 1960, DFS operates more than 200 stores including Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Guam and Hawaii

* The round DFS logo will replace the 'Old No 7' logo that usually adorns the bonnet of the two Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodores. The team's familiar Jack Daniel's Racing livery will return for the first Australian event of the 2010 season at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 11-14

-source: kelly racing

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