PREMIAIR Racing team manager Stephen Robertson believes there will be plenty of overtaking at the ITM Taupō Super400 despite the track’s limited passing zones.
PremiAir’s drivers Tim Slade and James Golding headed across the ditch late last month to get an early look at the circuit aboard a Toyota 86.
They’ll return for Supercars’ inaugural round there this weekend, starting with a 90-minute practice session on Friday ahead of two 200km races.
It’s been an up-and-down start to 2024 for PremiAir, with Golding shining at Bathurst and struggling at Albert Park and the reverse being somewhat true for Slade.
Robertson is upbeat about putting it all together at Taupō, where high tyre degradation is anticipated.
“In Melbourne, our potential far exceeded the results on the board, and we made a number of big advancements in our set-up, which we are very happy about,” he said.
“So, we are feeling confident of the direction we are heading as we get ready to head across the Tasman.
“Pitstop training has also been a core focus, as there is no minimum fuel drop for the Taupo 400. This means the cars will be stationary in pitlane for a much shorter time, ensuring there is absolutely no margin for error.
“Qualifying will once again be very important with limited overtaking spots, but thanks to the different strategies employed across the field, I think there will be a lot of passing going on.
“With the live pitlane, we are also looking forward to being a little further up the pitlane order than we have been for the last two years, moving up to eighth on the teams’ championship rankings after the Melbourne SuperSprint as part of the AGP.”
PremiAir’s newest signing will also be racing at Taupō, with Golding’s co-driver David Russell competing in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.
Golding meanwhile is coming off a strong meeting at Phillip Island where he seized the Trico Trans Am series lead.
