Motorsport: V8 drivers ready for sweet run

The start of the 2009 Australian V8 Supercar Championship series sees a bit of driver shuffling, but the big shake up is the number of rule changes.

The organisers have also seen fit to introduce an E85 sugar cane-based fuel that has a number of teams concerned about consumption. No one has used this type of fuel under race conditions before, so there is no data as to the distance a car can go on a tank.

There are also mumblings consumption will increase by up to 30 per cent in some instances. However, along with the other rule changes it's a level playing field as it's the same for everyone.

There's no point trying to figure out who'll win the championship at this point - not with all the changes - but the Clipsal 500 this weekend in Adelaide will be a good indicator.

For the first time in years the opening race is wide open. The Holden Racing Team has a new feel about it and could be on the rise again but smooth operators like Stone Brothers Racing could just catch everyone by surprise.

If defending champion Jamie Whincup's dominating form from last year continues, he'll be a shoe-in to kick start his season by winning the opening round of the 15-race series.

We saw a flash of what Greg Murphy is capable of when he and fellow Kiwi Jason Richards were within spitting distance of winning last year's Mount Panorama race. After a gruelling race the pair clawed their way to within a second of eventual winners Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.

However, that was Murphy's only highlight during a season fraught with mechanical problems and race incidents. "Last year's season wasn't how anyone would like it let alone me," said Murphy. "We had to have a real big look at ourselves at the end of the year and decide what our plan of attack was going to be."

There has been a big shake up at the Holden garage with Murphy's former teammate Jason Richards now at Brad Jones Racing and Jason Bargwana coming on board.

Are far as Richards is concerned, this season is the time to step up to the plate and have a real go. "I'm really excited about this season, it's like the first day at a new job," said Richards.

"The new rules are going to make it interesting with different strategies and races. The car's going to be great as it gets out of the corners better, making the straights longer. I've got a bit to learn though, as it goes into the corners a bit different, but it'll be alright."

Another Kiwi, Fabian Coulthard's career just keeps getting better. His move last season from Paul Morris Racing to the Paul Cruickshank Racing outfit saw a marked improvement in his form. He'll be hoping for more success this year as well.

"I think we'll go alright this year," said Coulthard. "It was a bit hard to tell during testing as the weather wasn't very good. A few rules have changed that should spice it up if you're a fan."

Coulthard gets a new Triple Eight-built FG chassis from the championship winning team of Jamie Whincup.

"It'll be the first time I've had a brand new car since my karting days," chuckled Coulthard.

Young Stone Brothers Racing Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen rattled a few of the more established cages, especially in the wet where he stated he enjoyed the movement of the car.

He also gets a new teammate to replace the departing James Courtney in the guise of Will Davidson's older brother Alex.

Whincup has signalled his intentions with a blistering start to the 2009 season at the Clipsal 500 on Friday.

Whincup snared pole position for Saturday and Sunday's 250km races, dominating qualifying and coming out fastest in the top 10 shootout.

Rule changes:

* One race on Saturday and one on Sunday for 12 events.
* Individual victory to every race winner across 26 races in the season.
* A podium to recognise each of the 26 race winners during the series.
* Qualifying determines both Saturday and Sunday grids.
* Top Ten Shootout returns for the final leg of qualifying.
* The L&H 500 will retain two Saturday qualifying races that count for championship points but not a race result.
* No compulsory pit stop window meaning teams can stop whenever they choose.
* There will be at least one fuel stop in every race.
* A soft compound tyre at select weekends that teams must use at least once during the race.
* Each race, outside of the two endurance races, is worth 150 points to the winner on a sliding scale.
* Teams are free to utilise any tyre from their allocation as they see fit across an event.