Aussie V8 Ute Racing
Not quite according to plan! That's how team manager David Maidment has described the season so far.
Six of the eight races of the season are down and the Kim Jane Motorsport Team is sitting in fifth place. Hopes of winning the series are dashed, but there is still the possibility that, with luck, Kim can squeeze onto the diaz in third place - if he drives exceptionally well in the final races and those ahead of him have bad days.
The next race is in October in Bathurst, where Kim holds V8 Ute the lap record so there is good cause for optimism.
Race 6 at Sandown
Sandown was the last race. David says the team went into the event buoyant - it was Kim's 150th drive in V8 Utes so there were celebrations and cake - but the car was a little off pace. Car 27 qualified in sixth or seventh place and the team really felt the vehicle was down on horsepower, but the end result of the weekend was unbelievably good.
"Consistency won us the weekend," said David.
"Kim drove consistently well and we won the last race. It was a bit of a Bradbury actually, there were cars in front, but they went off the track and Kim stayed in control and took the chequered flag."
Engine rebuild
During the break between Sandown and Bathurst David reports that all three of the team's engines are being rebuilt.
"The V8 Ute category has commissioned a category engine builder in an effort to make sure all vehicles are competing on level ground, so we've sent all three of ours off. It will be interesting to see how they come back."
"We'll use the best one in Bathurst, where our objective is to hang on to the lap record."
Street circuit for series final
The series final will be on a street circuit in Homebush, Sydney.
This will be the third street circuit in the series - both the Townsville and Sydney street circuits are new this year.
"Townsville proved a phenomenal event - the crowd was amazing. I swear there were more people at the event than the population of the entire town!"
"On the track it was not so pretty. There was a crash ahead of him, which Kim managed to avoid, but the cars behind him didn't so he found himself sandwiched in the middle of the crash zone. Race over for us, I'm afraid!"
David says the road races are terrific from a crowd perspective - they turn the race into a major event and encourage a lot of activity in the community. Local businesses love it and it really helps cement the popularity of racing with the audience.
From a team perspective, it costs a bit more to participate and from the drivers' perspective it requires even more intense concentration and precision - there is not a lot of give in the concrete bunkers that line the track - and that makes great viewing.
Eyes on the prize
If you're new to the sport, David says to keep your eyes on cars 11, 1, 3, 47, 27 (Kim) and 7.
He says it's a good bet you'll see these same six cars - three Fords and three Holdens - battling it out at the front of the pack every time.
"They are almost consistently the top six and there are some fantastic drivers in those cars. You've got the series leader Jack Elsegood in car 11 and he is really itching to win a championship. Last year's series winner, Layton Crambrook, is currently sitting on number two and I reckon the most outstanding young achiever this year is George Miedecke in car 7 - he'll definitely be one to keep an eye on in the future. And of course you wouldn't take your eyes off Kim, who's been on the podium in third and second place in the last two years. It can be anyone's race on a given day - that's what makes it so exciting."
Kim Jane celebrated his 150th race in the V8 Utes at Sandown, so it was great cause for celebration and a little reflection. We asked Kim about his most memorable drives.
He says there are two standouts. Obviously setting the lap record at Bathurst last year was a huge highlight - it's a track he loves and he's conquered it in more than one species (Kim is a former Nascar champion).
The other highlight proved a tribute of a different kind. Four years ago Kim won the first round of the 2005 series at Eastern Creek, declaring quietly that he was 'doing it for Sue'. Kim had lost his sister Sue to cancer two weeks before the event. It was the team's first ever race win and the first ever round win.
In driving, as in life, focus, motivation and inspiration come from many sources.
Diary dates
| Round | Date | Event | Location |
| Round 7 | 8 - 11 October | Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, V8 Supercar + Fujitsu | Bathurst, NSW |
| Round 8 | 4 - 6 Dec | Sydney Telstra 500, V8 Supercar + Fujitsu | Homebush, NSW |
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