Sandown: Dodo Racing Team preview

PERKINS LEADS MASS FINGERPRICK AHEAD OF SANDOWN

Dodo Racing Team driver Jack Perkins has led a large group in 'The World's Biggest Fingerprick' in the lead-up to the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge on the steps of State Parliament in Melbourne today.

Perkins is a Youth Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, organisers of today's mass finger prick, and led the assembled crowd through what is a frequent routine for people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Using sterile, single-use finger prick kits donated by Roche Accu-chek, Perkins said that the event was a good way to increase awareness for Type 1 Diabetes and give people, including several State MPs, an insight into something he does at least eight times a day and up to 25 times a day on a race day to check the insulin levels in his blood.

Both Perkins and David Winstone, the Number One Mechanic on the #11 Dodo Holden Commodore, have Type 1 Diabetes.

Heading into this weekend's Sandown event, Perkins is looking forward to the prospect of racing at one of his favourite circuits in an event that is a home race for the Melbourne-based Kelly Racing operation.

WHAT JACK HAD TO SAY ...

Jack Perkins - #11 Dodo Holden Commodore:

QUESTION: You were part of the 'World's Biggest Fingerprick' for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on the steps of State Parliament as part of the lead-up to Sandown.

"It was good to help out to the JDRF and show some Members of Parliament and others what it's like to do a finger prick," said Perkins.

"We had 170 people use the Accu-chek finger prick kits and get a little blood.

"As a JDRF Youth Ambassador I get to meet some great people and do some very different things.

"This event was all about showing people what people with Type 1 Diabetes have to do at least six times a day for every day of their life.

"A lot of the kids there said that they were following my racing and that's really great to hear."

QUESTION: Sandown is a home race for the Dodo Racing Team. What are your thoughts for the weekend?

"Sandown is a good race for the whole Dodo team," said Perkins.

"You get to stay in your own bed and that's always a nice positive.

"The Dodo Commodore was very good at Sandown last year when it was in Jack Daniel's trim. Todd had solid top 10 results there last year and I'm looking forward to getting back to the track and trying my best to match that.

"It's a great track, the cars are good and our team's going really well. I'm looking forward to whatever the conditions might be."

QUESTION: How do you feel about the Sandown track, especially given it's a track where it can often be wet?

"It's one of the best tracks we go to in terms of speed," said Perkins.

"You've got to be committed to be fast over the top and especially when it's wet, that where the time is. In the dry it's fifth gear, nearly 200km/h, and in the wet it's fourth gear at about 160km/h, so it's still quite quick.

"We'll just drive to the conditions and hope that it's either very wet, or completely dry, because you never like it when it's in the middle and you're stuck between two different tyre choices.

"It's another event with the soft tyres, so it should be a good event where we'll have to see what people do in terms of the strategy and I'm just really forward to racing again after a three week break."

-credit: kellyracing.com.au