Motorsport: Drivers try hand at slower code

Craig Lowndes attempts a kick as Chief's Mike Delany looks on. Photo / Christine Cornege

It wasn't all motorsport and race day planning for Hamilton V8 Supercar drivers yesterday.

A group of entrants had a bit of one-on-one coaching from Waikato Chiefs members.

Not that Greg Murphy was wasting time flirting with another sporting code. The Kiwi motorsport legend was considering placing a $10 bet on himself to win this year's ITM400 Hamilton, which gets under way with practice rounds today. And with odds of $126 to do so, he'd be silly not to.

New Zealand's biggest sporting event starts today with Hamilton hosting its third ITM400 with at least 30,000 petrolheads expected at the sole New Zealand round of the V8 Supercar Championships.

Despite not winning in New Zealand since Pukekohe in 2005, Murphy said things were "all good mate".

He is now racing in a Triple Eight-designed, PMM-built Commodore and after qualifying as one of the fastest drivers at the non-championship event at Albert Park last month is feeling good about his chances this time.

The four-time Bathurst winner said the track had again impressed the drivers.