MEDIA RELEASE: Todd Hazelwood is prepared to race his first ever round at Phillip Island since Formula 3, as the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series hit the historic circuit for the first time in years.
The 20-year-old and his Matt Stone Racing team are looking forward to the second round after a strong start to the season.
“We had such a great start to the season at the first round clinching our first pole position and was the best qualifier over the two races.
“We have all worked very hard over the last month and hopefully we will be rewarded with our efforts this weekend.”
Hazelwood and the team tested last week and unlocked some key changes before Round 2 this weekend.
“Last Wednesday we managed to do a day of testing and it was great to get back behind the wheel again,” Hazelwood continued.
“It is always a challenge to keep the mind and body in shape with such long breaks between races, but I feel very comfortable behind the wheel and our setup plans will hopefully keep us at the pointy end of the field at Phillip Island.
“My engineer [Wes McDougall] and I are continuously learning more and more about the new chassis and hopefully with more knowledge and testing since our successful debut at Clipsal we can continue to improve both our speed and results.”
The iseek Racing driver has not raced on the fast-paced circuit in two years, and knows it is going to be totally different to the last time he raced there.
“One of the biggest challenges this weekend will be the setup of the car … it will be totally different to what we ran with at Round 1, making the car ride the kerbs and bumps on a street circuit,” Hazelwood continued.
“Arriving at a fast and flowing circuit for the first time in this car will be interesting to see how quickly we can pick up the setup and get it consistently correct.
“I have never raced a V8 Supercar around Phillip Island … it is one of the most beautiful circuits in the country and with such high speeds, long turns and big braking areas I am jumping out of my skin to get out there and have a go!
“No matter what the result, it’s going to be a fun weekend.”
The Holden driver will hit the Phillip Island circuit for Round 2 of the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series Friday for his opening practice session.
