Eric Thompson: Hope for a Kiwi win... but bet on the champ

Jamie Whincup. Photo / Edge Photographics

It would be great to see a Kiwi winner in Hamilton this weekend ... but the New Zealanders will have to pull a big one out of the bag if one is to leave the ITM 400 in Hamilton with the Mark Porter trophy as round winners.

A nice touch that trophy, as it's in honour of Porter who died in a crash during the Fujitsu support race at Bathurst in 2006. It's the prize all the drivers want to have on their mantelpiece because it remembers one of their own - and also because it looks cool.

And it has a bit of Kiwi in it, having been carved from pounamu, found only in the South Island, and adorned with wood from Waikato.

Its engravings include the national fern symbol and two hammerhead sharks.

So who's going to pack it into their suitcase on Sunday night? For my money, you can't go past Jamie Whincup. The TeamVodafone driver is on fire this season, and bar being punted into the wall, as in 2008 when Todd Kelly ended any chance he had of racing, he's going to be hard to beat in Hamilton.

But HRT driver Garth Tander might be worth having a lazy fiver on, as he's a proven winner around the streets of the Frankton district, having won the round in 2008 and finishing two seconds behind Whincup last year. He's in good form this year and is third on the championship table behind Mark Winterbottom and Whincup.

Don't make the mistake of thinking Whincup's teammate, Craig Lowndes, is going to play the two-time champion's wingman. He has yet to stamp his mark on the streets of Hamilton and needs to grab a fistful of points to stay in touch with the leaders.

Defending champion James Courtney is 11th on the table after two rounds. He's always been fast and last year added a bit of consistency to his driving to win the title. Let's hope the red mist doesn't descend as he tries to climb the points ladder.

Of the Kiwis, the one to watch is Fabian Coulthard. He's been quick at times around the street circuits and is the leading New Zealander in the championship, in fifth place.

If it rains, the winner will be the driver who stays out of trouble and keeps off the wall.