21/02/2008
NEWS STORY
Table topping New Zealand driver Jonny Reid (right) will be driving into the unknown at this weekend's 7th Round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Durban. The South African leg is the only street race in the 10-round series and Reid will be at a distinct disadvantage as he has never driven a street circuit in his life.
"Matt Halliday drove in Durban in the first two seasons, as well as Beijing's street race last season, so having a few walls around me is a totally new experience," Reid said. "But I'm heading into this with the view that a race track is a race track and you need to do your job and apply yourself as normal. You always try to be precise and put the car in the right place on any circuit. The only difference here is that if you make a mistake it will end your race. There are no second chances."
Reid headed to Durban last weekend, arriving at the venue earlier than usual so he could acclimatise and get familiar with the lay-out. He has been walking the track to gain a feel for the racing lines and visualise how the cars will react on the bumpier surface.
"This is a crucial, crucial time for us in the championship so we're doing anything extra we can to assist us be successful this weekend," Reid said. "There are so many unknowns, I'm heading in blind. The circuit isn't available on any simulator and there's no onboard footage available like the Taupo and Eastern Creek circuits we've been to this year. With top speeds approaching 260kms an hour it's quite fast for a street circuit with a few long straights mixed in with the traditional tight areas and some blind corners. It's going to be an interesting weekend, that's for sure."
Reid has secured the most race wins of the season – three in 12 outings – and Black Beauty has also been the only car to finish in the Top 10 in all 12 races to date. But the 24-year-old says that speed and consistency won't be readily apparent as he works his way into the weekend and uses the two one-hour practice sessions to become familiar with the circuit before putting the foot down in Qualifying.
"I'm not going to be on the pace straight away, but I need to stay chilled and take it as it comes because that's simply the nature of not knowing the circuit. I'll pick it up…it just takes time. The people who have driven here before – and that's the majority of the field – are going to be fast out of the gate. But I have to be controlled, take advantage of every last bit of practice time and adapt to the new challenge.
It's different to what I'm used to, but we have a pretty fast car, good information from Matt over the last two years and a strong solid platform to build on for the weekend. There will probably be a big difference to start, especially as we don't have a Rookie Driver this weekend to help set up and tune the car, but come Qualifying I'll hopefully have closed the gap."
With just four rounds remaining New Zealand, on 96 points, is tied with France at the top of the championship table, but leads the series by virtue of more race wins. Switzerland is just three points adrift, on 93, and South Africa is a further 14 points back in 4th, on 79 points. "Everyone's fired up and keen to push hard to gain first place outright and extend the lead. We don't want to share it."
Reid is still kicking himself for a pre-race stall that saw him start from pitlane instead of pole position in the Feature Race at Sydney two weekends ago. While he fought back to finish 9th in the 22-nation field he is quietly determined to atone for the mistake that turned exhilaration into frustration. "There's probably a little bit of fire within to perform and gain back those points we could've had for a podium or race win at Eastern Creek. I'm carrying a bit of fight, but I learnt a thing or two in Sydney about the way I work and cope with adversity. I'm focused on maintaining my established routine, and doing everything as I've always done it. Durban is a big challenge, but I won't let the emotion get to me. I'm comfortable with the car, it's mid-season so the whole team is in race mode and we're confident."