Motorsport: Dane's just in it to win it

Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes. Photo / Getty Images

Triple eight team owner Roland Dane couldn't care less if his drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup create history at today's Bathurst 1000, he just wants them over the line first.

Of course that result would bring the TeamVodafone pair their fourth-straight Bathurst crown, an unprecedented feat in Mount Panorama's long history, but Dane says today is just another chance to keep his V8 Supercar team on top.

"For me I don't really think about four in a row, like I didn't think about three in a row," Dane said. "You just come here each time and you want to win. Whether you've won three in a row, or three separately, to me it's really irrelevant. It's the fact that you've won three.

"If we end up winning four in a row or win a fourth one another time, it doesn't matter. Just to win here is such a big thing."

The one thing that's not in question is Dane's hunger to win again ... and again ... and again. The Irish-born owner moved from his UK base to Australia with the goal of dominating the V8 Supercar market and he freely admits he's nowhere near done yet.

"Coming here to live in Australia, a big part of the motivation was to come and win at Bathurst. That was the main goal for me ... and it remains so."

Next year Dane and TeamVodafone will be racing under the Holden badge after announcing a controversial switch from Ford in July.

He says he can't see the switch affecting the team's campaign this weekend.

"I hope not, there are always other things in life that make you realise we're lucky to be able to do something as a business we enjoy," he said. "The sort of things that can have more effect are, frankly, [things like] one of our key guys has had a stillborn daughter and that's something that plays on our minds and we're thinking about him and his family right now."

MEANWHILE, DRIVER Jason Richards says he's proud of what he's achieved at Bathurst but far from content. Richards was second to TeamVodafone pair Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup last year with fellow New Zealander Greg Murphy and also finished runner-up in 2005.

"Traditionally it's been a good track for me," Richards said. "My motto this year is to find the two and a half seconds because it can't be that hard - over six and a half hours I should be able to find two and a half seconds.

"I've missed winning the race by two and a half seconds three times in the past four years. We've almost got all of the ingredients, it's just a matter of getting everything ready and sorted."

Many were claiming surprise when Richards topped the timesheets at Friday's qualifying sessions, but the Team BOC driver said there was no need for too many eyebrows to be raised at his performance.

Though if he's not getting credit for his displays at Bathurst, Richards and co-driver Cameron McConville aren't overly concerned.

"We haven't featured really, which I find quite amazing," Richards said. "In the last three or four years I've been the leading Holden driver, so to not even get a mention ... but it's good, clearly we're going under the radar and there's a lot less pressure when you do that.

"We still haven't won, so we probably don't need that added pressure of being up in lights."

However, this year selecting a winner is even more difficult as computers are set to be given as big a workout as the cars.

With the introduction of ethanol-blended fuel for the first time at Mt Panorama, teams had their last opportunity to nail down strategies during practice yesterday. V8s burn more ethanol than the traditional petrol used in previous years, meaning more refuelling stops during the race.

But just how many that will be is a mystery and the leading teams remained cagey on just how close they are to solving what is looming as the biggest wildcard in today's 161-lap race.

"We're not going to discuss strategy, but it's going to be quite a different Bathurst from anything we've ever seen before," said Richards, fastest in Friday qualifying going into last night's top 10 shootout.

- AAP