"It's good to go to Darwin; it's always been one of my most successful tracks and the team's as well," Winterbottom said. "The new track surface is going to make it a bit different but I've always thought that if Hidden Valley was resurfaced it would be one of the best tracks.
"At the same time, before we had the five weeks off we had a pretty good run and we want to carry that form over.
"It feels like you lose a bit of momentum with the way the breaks are but hopefully we can start strong again here [in Darwin]."
Winterbottom will have his work cut out if he wants to dominate the series from here on in. There have been seven different race winners so far and five different championship leader changes. As it is, 317 points blanket the top 10 drivers, which is just over a race weekend's total haul.
The resurfaced track caused most of the chatter in the run-up to the race with everyone wondering how the new surface will affect tyre wear on a track notorious in previous years for being hard on rubber. Tekno Autosports and Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen in particular are hoping the new surface will aid them in getting their championship tilt back on track. The team has been beset by errors and a lack of pace of late, but have a new car for this weekend.
"We've got a new car and it's the first one we've had since we started racing the Car Of The Future," said van Gisbergen. "It'll be quite interesting to see if there is any difference.
"I did a 20-lap shakedown during the week and it felt nice and tight.
"It looks quite promising, but there was nothing wrong with the old car, other than they soften up a bit after a few years. The last two rounds have been a bit of struggle for us, but now we've got a new car and a few new strategies for this weekend.
"I like the track and have gone pretty well here in the past and I'm looking forward to getting the points going again after a couple of shockers."
Another driver on the lookout for redemption this weekend also just happens to be a New Zealander.
After a stellar year in the Volvo last year, things haven't quite gone to plan this year for Scott McLaughlin and his Gary Rogers Motorsport team. They have be hamstrung by an unsettling number of mechanical errors and the odd human error.
The young Kiwi, however, is in a positive frame of mind this weekend despite languishing 16th on the points table. The team has been working flat out over the break and is confident the improvements they've made will get their man back up at the pointy end of the field.
"I'm actually quietly confident," said McLaughlin. "I think our car's going to be reasonable here. I knew it was going to be tough this year but it's all come at once.
"It'll be good here as the new surface is so good. It's nice and smooth and you might even be able to do the whole race on a set of softs.
"We haven't quite got the setup right on the new car just yet. The guys have been working so hard during the break to get the car working right and it appears they have. I'm pumped and can't wait to go racing."
The remaining two Kiwis in the field are both going about their business in an orderly manner.
Fabian Coulthard has stayed out of trouble and notched up a string of good, consistent results and is happily ensconced in third. At the other end of the scale, newcomer to the big boy's category Andre Hiemgartner continues to improve and show he's worth his place in the championship.
V8 Supercars after four rounds:
1. Mark Winterbottom 937
2. Craig Lowndes 925
3. Fabian Coulthard 851
4. Jamie Whincup 801
5. James Courtney 795
6. Garth Tander 734
7. Shane van Gisbergen 731
8. Chaz Mostert 714
