"This [Pukekohe] would be my ideal track to try and extend my points lead," said Winterbottom. "Our car has been really good here. If you could pick one track to be confident about getting a result, this is the place that seems to suit me and the car.
"I've always thought that if we were close in the championship, this is the round out of all the ones we go to that I'd want to pick. It is a high-risk round, with massive rewards if things go according to plan.
"On the other hand, we've seen tyre delamination in the past. Last year, I dropped a wheel on to the grass coming on to the straight and almost lost it into the fence.
"I love the bumps here. When you fire the car in at 250km/h [Turn One] and it starts to move around, I get excited. It's sort of what I like about the track."
The Gold Coast event, the last of the Pirtek Enduro Cup rounds, was probably his team's worst result this year. Winterbottom isn't overly concerned he lost a fair chunk of points to the chasing pack, as he still holds a handy 258-point lead.
"We're just going to go out and do what we do. This round for me is one we attack because of how good it's been for us in the past. We only need 21 points here and 21 points at Phillip Island to wrap it [the championship] up so we're close. At the same time, though, if we have a bad round, we're back under the pump again."
The crowd will be partisan over the weekend and heavily biased towards the four Kiwi drivers in the field: Fabian Coulthard, Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and series rookie Andre Heimgartner. Racing in front of tens of thousands of baying New Zealand fans wanting a Kiwi to win holds no uncertainty for Winterbottom.
"You're not trying to fight for the love of the fans because they've got four very good drivers they'll be backing. The good thing, though, is that there are lots of Ford supporters here in New Zealand.
"Last year, when I passed McLaughlin to get the win, the Ford fans still went ballistic on the hill. The still love their own but they love their brand as well. It's really cool to have the fans cheering both Scotty and me on."
Eric Thompson
It's rare to be able to say three of the four New Zealand drivers at this weekend's V8 Supercars round at Pukekohe are in with a definite chance of winning a race or two.
Any sceptics should remember how well they went at Puke the previous two years. Scott McLaughlin has stood on all three steps of the podium, Shane van Gisbergen has finished inside the top five in six of the eight races, including a win and two seconds, and Fabian Coulthard has also been on the podium.
TOP CONTENDERS AT PUKEKOHE
Here are the top five picks to take home the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.
Mark Winterbottom
The Prodrive Racing Australia driver has been the most consistent in the field and leads the championship by 258 points from Craig Lowndes. He holds the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy (presented to the winner of the New Zealand round of the series) and is a previous winner at Pukekohe -- one of the few Ford pilots to have done so. He likes the track and it suited his car even before the recent upgrades that have turned it into a rocket.
Fabian Coulthard
He's the best-placed Kiwi in the championship sitting nicely in fifth behind Garth Tander and David Reynolds. Qualifying has been a bit of a struggle for the team but the car definitely has race pace to spare. It's a track that suits his driving style and on the return of the V8s to Puke in 2013, he was inside the top four in three of the four rounds. Last year's event wasn't the best for him, so he'll be out to make amends in front of the home crowd.
Scott McLaughlin
The young Kiwi and his Gary Rogers Motorsport outfit have hit a few speed bumps this year both unexpected and self-inflicted. The team appears to have turned things around recently and the scintillating pace the 22-year-old showed in 2014 seems to be back. When the Volvo's running at its best at Pukekohe, it's nigh on impossible to beat, as shown by his first, second and third placings in the past. Be prepared to see the young fella give it "the jandal" on home soil.
Shane van Gisbergen
Regarded as one of the fastest drivers on his day, The Giz has returned to form in the second half of the season, moving steadily up the points table to sit sixth 35 points behind fellow Kiwi Coulthard. He's been the most consistent of the Kiwi drivers on the revamped South Auckland circuit and feels the team could be set to go well this weekend. He'd love nothing better than to get the trophy in Kiwi hands. If it rains, he should be a shoo-in.
Garth Tander
The Holden Racing Team driver has launched himself into title contention recently and is the holder of the 2015 Pirtek Enduro Cup. He is fourth in the title race and is in a resurgent mood, having moved up from ninth in the last three events. He's had success at Pukekohe in the past, with three race wins and a pole (before the track revamp), and Holden is the dominant manufacturer around the old girl. He's got some momentum now, so will be a threat.
Track stats
Circuit length: 2.91km - fifth-shortest on calendar
New chicane: 7 seconds added to lap time
Highest speed reached: 248km/h
Average speed: 167km/h - equal third with Symmons Plains
Wins: Holden 24, Ford 4, Nissan 0, AMG Mercedes 0, Volvo 0.
Round wins: Holden 8, Ford 1.
Lap record: 1 minute 03.76 seconds
Qualifying lap record: Jamie Whincup 1 minute 02.559 seconds
Race lap record: Scott McLaughlin 1 minute 03.723 seconds
Most race wins: 9 -- Greg Murphy
