"Obviously they are more into superstocks but I can always go to them for advice. Dad is always there and puts a word in my ear if I'm not doing things right," Penn said.
"I'm still learning about car set-ups and dealing with corners. But I'm getting better."
In addition to the Best Pairs successes, Penn has been a regular race winner on his home track. He qualified at the North Island championships in Auckland last season and almost qualified at last month's Palmerston North-hosted nationals where he had the misfortune of being taken out by a Palmy driver when he was running third in his final heat.
A former quad bike racer, Penn, like all the other drivers in the eight-team event, won't find out until the draw is done tomorrow night who he will be racing against and what role he will have.
"I'm sure the nerves will kick in at some stage but at this stage I'm pretty excited," Penn said after a final check of his car last night.
The Maulers were disappointing a month ago when beaten 160-35 by the Palmerston North Pumas and 165-30 by the Bay Park Bulldogs.
"We had a team meeting earlier this week. The boys weren't happy with those results and are keen to lift their performance," Penn said.
Although multiple national champion Peter Rees, the bloke who was concussed when his car was smashed into the wall by Palmer a month ago, is missing from the Pumas line-up because he is saving himself for superstock teams racing, the defending champions will still be worthy of respect regardless of who they draw. Inaugural champions the Waikato Raiders are another outfit capable of taking the title home.
