Mark Winterbottom believes wet weather could throw the V8 Supercar championship decider on the streets of Sydney's Olympic Park wide open.
While the Ford driver sits third on the championship ladder behind leader James Courtney and Holden ace Jamie Whincup going into this weekend's season finale, he concedes the 203-point
gap between himself and Courtney is too much for him to realistically be a contender.
However, Winterbottom warns it could be a wild weekend of racing with plenty of upsets if the wet weather in Sydney throughout the week continues into Saturday and Sunday's 250km races.
"Last year only 16 finished on Saturday and that was dry," Winterbottom said.
"Throw in rain and it's going to be harder as well.
"It's going to be a big factor, we haven't raced a street race in the wet since I've been in the championship.
"We see how many cars go off the circuits in the wet so Homebush, if it does stay wet or wet and dry like it is, it could be pretty hairy I think."
Whatever happens with the heavens, Courtney says he wouldn't be surprised if there is an unforeseen hazard ahead for him and title rival Whincup.
"Look with the way the season's gone, with all the twists and turns, I'm sure there's a couple more to play out before the end of the year," the Jim Beam Racing driver told AAP.
"It's an action packed weekend, there's plenty going on off the track as well as on the track, so it's going to be a massive event."
The Sydney 500 event gets under way on Friday with practice ahead of Saturday and Sunday's races.
- AAP
