Shane Van Gisbergen. Photo / Getty Images
After two years of having the season opener in the Middle East, it is great to be back Down Under for the start of 2012.
Over the last week in Adelaide you could feel there was an extra buzz in the air and much more intensity in the pit lanes, as well as the tribal element that the fans bring.
We all understand the benefits of going to new markets but as a driver it is much more preferable to kick off in Australia. We have got good expatriate support from the Australians and New Zealanders in Abu Dhabi but I think most drivers would agree it is not easy to race in front of half empty grandstands and in a country with less of a motor racing culture.
All in all, it's a great decision to bring the season opener back to Australia and this year's Abu Dhabi round coincides with the F1 Grand Prix there which should be favourable for our crowds.
Looking at the 2012 season I guess most people are focussing on who is going to stop Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, who were completely dominant last year. They were at the top of their game almost every round and even on their bad weekends they were better than most of the other teams.
If you take note of the pre-season hype in the media, it seems almost every team thinks they can win the title and stop Whincup and co. That remains to be seen; personally I think first time Ford driver David Reynolds and my fellow Kiwi Fabian Coulthard could be two to emerge out of the woodwork and have strong seasons. They have strong teams around them and are in a good environment.
At Stone Brothers Racing, we are feeling very confident about the season ahead. Last year we had our moments but poor qualifying performances in the first half of the season meant we were always having to come through the pack. Dave Stewart came on board as engineer midway through last year and brought some fresh ideas. It really helped my confidence and I think it showed in our qualifying performances at the back end of 2011.
Personally I'm feeling refreshed and ready to go after a good break at home. It was a holiday but I managed to fit in plenty of racing as always ; I did some motocross in Whakatane, drove some sprintcars at the speedway and even managed some racing on the dirt track out at Waiuku. Then it was back to Queensland; we have worked hard in testing and preparation and are looking forward to a big year.
Today is one of the biggest challenges we face all year.
After qualifying, then hurtling through a 250km race - which is the longest single drive race on the circuit - we have to do it all again today. Managing your recovery is crucial. It wasn't as hot as previous years yesterday but the cockpit is still at least 20 degrees warmer than the outside ambient temperature so you lose a lot of fluids during the race and maintaining your concentration is key.
We do have special cool suits - vests we wear that have water cooled by dry ice running through specially designed veins which help.
Additionally, Adelaide is your classic tight street circuit. As a driver you can never relax and are constantly changing gears during the 3.2km circuit.