Bahrain: WPS/WOW Racing preview

BARGWANNA AND WILSON LOOK TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING ALL THE WAY TO BAHRAIN

WPS/WOW Racing V8 Supercar drivers Jason Bargwanna and Max Wilson will be looking to score the Gold Coast-based team its third-consecutive top 10 round result of the season in the Desert 400 in Bahrain this weekend.

As the championship jets off to the Bahrain International Circuit, Bargwanna and Wilson are buoyed by recent form that saw the duo pair up for seventh place in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 before backing up with strong pace at the team's home event at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast.

Wilson scored 10th overall for the round on the streets of Surfers Paradise in the #8 WOW Racing Falcon after a string of consistent race results and solid car speed.

Bargwanna was unlucky not to join the Brazilian in the top 10 at the end of the round, running in fourth place in the #10 WPS Racing Falcon in the final race only to be clipped by another car, damaging the steering and sending the former Bathurst winner down the order. Bargwanna finished the round in 11th overall.

WPS/WOW Racing continues to make progress in this year's championship, with Wilson and Bargwanna now 16th and 19th in the points standings respectively. WPS/WOW Racing lies ninth in the V8 Supercar Team's Championship standings.

It was a big week following the Lexmark Indy 300 for the WPS/WOW Racing crew, who were back to work early on Monday morning to prepare the WOW and WPS cars for the trip to Bahrain. The two racing machines were ready to be freighted on Friday, with Gibson Freight taking possession of the team's cars and equipment over the weekend to fly to Bahrain today (Monday) from Brisbane.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ...

Max Wilson -- #8 WOW Racing Falcon

"I didn't have the best round in Bahrain last year so I'd like to put that behind me with a good round this year," said Wilson.

"It's good to race somewhere different in a completely different part of the world. The track is not the most technical that we go to but it's wide and has room for lots of overtaking so creates some good racing.

"It should be an interesting round for everyone because this circuit is fairly different to what we are all used to.

"The asphalt is very slippery and the track does not offer a lot of grip the whole way around the lap.

"When you walk around the circuit and you think that it's an F1 circuit, you think that there would be a lot of grip, but it's just the opposite.

"It's a very slippery track and last year I think everyone admitted that there was a lot less grip than we all expected.

"There is nothing wrong with the track -- it's the same for everyone and of course it is a fantastic facility -- but it's just something very different that we all have to adjust to.

"Our cars don't have the massive amounts of downforce that a Formula 1 car can rely on to push it onto the track, so for us Bahrain is a very different sort of challenge.

"I'm looking forward to the event as we try to carry on our good momentum from the past two events.

"If we keep up the good work I think we can be right up there in Bahrain and set ourselves up for a good finish to the season."

Jason Bargwanna -- #10 WPS Racing Falcon

"There is no doubt that Bahrain is an exciting sort of place," said Bargwanna.

"The track may be relatively short but the event itself is always great fun to go to and it's an amazing place to race.

"It's by far the most state-of-the-art facility we go to and I really enjoy being able to race in Bahrain.

"For our team it's important we make sure we can make our current momentum work for us.

"If we can get the car near the front early it makes it a lot easier to stay in the points for all three races.

"Everyone is working really hard to make is a good finish to the season for our team and I think the potential is there for Bahrain to be another good event for us."

Craig Gore -- WPS/WOW Racing Team Owner

"It's a very hectic finish to the season, but for our team this is an exciting time as we look to end the year on a high," said Gore.

"The guys did a great job on the Gold Coast and the mood in the team is great. It's a long trip to Bahrain but the team has a spring in its step and is keen to get to the next race and continue the current form.

"Bahrain is a tough event on the crew. The cars had to be turned around after Surfers, which is always a treacherous event in terms of damage, within five days. The team was in at work first thing on Monday morning and the cars were ready to go again on Friday. It's a big effort and my hat goes off to each and every crew member.

"Bahrain is a track where the cars are all pretty close, so it will be tough, but if we stay smart, minimise mistakes and make the most of our opportunities I'm confident we can do well."

-credit: wpsracing.net.au