Motorsport: Whincup wants revenge for Hamilton crash

Jamie Whincup leads the V8 series ahead of the weekend round in Hamilton. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi motorsport fans are gearing up for a return to Hamilton for the New Zealand round of the Australian V8 Supercar championships.

And one driver in particular is looking to make amends this weekend on the Frankton district street track.

Jamie Whincup's 2008 season was spurred by disaster in Hamilton, where he didn't even make the grid. An accident during qualifying last year damaged his car and he left New Zealand without a point.

But from then on, he was almost unstoppable on his march towards his first championship title.

"This time last year I did a massive amount of preparation work for Hamilton and I worked really hard for a good result," said Whincup.

"We didn't even get to be on the grid as the car was written off in qualifying."

For Whincup this weekend is about unfinished business.

He's keen to get a chance to finally break the Holden stranglehold on the Kiwi round of the V8 title chase.

"It would be nice to get a reward for all the hard work we've done both last season and so far this year," he said yesterday.

"All the major components that made us quick last year we've still got. We've got a great team that works really hard and a great car."

Whincup leads the V8 series coming into the weekend and he is certainly the form driver in the quality field with two wins from the opening round in Adelaide. Barring mechanical gremlins - or an accident like the one that ended last year's assault - Whincup seems the man to beat on the streets of Hamilton.

"We've had a really good start to the year and it's really important to keep the momentum going at Hamilton," said Whincup.

But the Ford driver will still have his work cut out to keep the Holdens at bay.

It appears the Commodores have the edge in New Zealand and chief among the exponents in recent seasons are Garth Tander, the defending Hamilton 400 champion with a record of three-from-three last year, Will Davison and New Zealand's Jason Richards.

Davison is second in this year's title chase and Richards, the best placed of the Kiwi drivers, is fifth.

Richards said he was looking forward to capitalising on the flashes of pace he showed in last year's event.

He has found a new home with Team BOC this year and has consistently been in the top five this season.

"It's great to be back home in New Zealand as the leading Kiwi driver and driving one of the more competitive Holdens," he said.

"I know I've got the equipment to do the job and it's just a matter of putting it all together."

Whincup leads the championship on 300 points; Davison is second on 267 points with Lee Holdsworth third on 249 points.

The best of the Kiwis, Richards, is fifth on 207 points.