Symmons Plains: Kelly Racing preview

BARGWANNA LOVES BUSY RACING SCHEDULE

Jason Bargwanna loves the busy racing schedule that the last part of the 2010 V8 Supercars Championship Series season presents.

Entering the Falken Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains Raceway this weekend, Bargwanna is in the middle of a streak of races on both sides of the Tasman.

Last weekend, Bargwanna finished eighth overall in the opening round of the New Zealand V8 Championship at the Pukekohe circuit in Auckland.

Now the former Bathurst winner turns his attention back to the #11 Rock Commodore for back-to-back V8 Supercar events at Symmons Plains and then Sandown International Raceway in Melbourne, Victoria next weekend.

Bargwanna is confident that the Kelly Racing Commodores will be well suited to the small-but-fast 2.4-kilometre Symmons Plains layout for this weekend's two races, which also include one set of Dunlop's soft 'option' tyres per car, per race.

Rookie driver Tony Ricciardello is excited to get to Tasmania this weekend as the West Aussie has a previous V8 Supercar start at the Symmons Plains circuit.

In a year where many events have been Ricciardello's first V8 start at each circuit, the driver of the #16 Stratco Commodore will be looking to make strides forwards in Tassie this weekend, having raced at Symmons Plains in 2006 for Britek Motorsport.

Practice for the Falken Tasmania Challenge begins on Friday with qualifying and races on both Saturday and Sunday.

KELLY RACING QUOTEBOARD:

JASON BARGWANNA - #11 Rock Holden Commodore

"Any racing driver will tell you that too much racing is never enough," said Jason Bargwanna.

"It has been a busy few weeks heading to New Zealand for a test and then last weekend's race.

"It's been great to get some extra racing in and to have Rock Energy on board for both drives on either side of the Tasman.

"Now we head to Tassie and we want to crack it for a couple of top 10s and some good points.

"As a team here at Kelly Racing we are pushing extremely hard to have a strong finish to the season to give us good momentum going into 2011."

TONY RICCIARDELLO - #16 Stratco Holden Commodore

"It does help heading to a circuit where I have raced a V8 Supercar before," said Tony Ricciardello.

"Symmons Plains always puts on tough racing so you take any advantage you can get.

"The field is only separated by a few tenths of a second in qualifying and the racing is tight as well because it is only a small track.

"Our cars have great horsepower and that's important down the long back straight, so we will be focusing our set-up on getting good power down out of the tight hairpin.

"We are all keen to move forwards in the Stratco Commodore in these last three events of the season."

-source: kelly racing