Irwin Racing set for a desert adventure

IRWIN Racing’s Marcus Marshall is heading across the globe for round #12 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, the Gulf Air Desert 400 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This will be the third appearance of the V8 Supercars in Bahrain. Marshall raced in the inaugural event in 2006 and after a year away he is looking forward to once again racing in the Persian Gulf.

“Australian V8 Supercars in the desert does sound unusual, but the people of the Gulf are passionate about their cars and really enjoy the V8s,” said Marshall.

“As a driver we get to race on a modern Formula One circuit which is very exciting as well.

“The layout of the circuit includes nice wide straights, but there are some very tricky sections including the tight first turn.

“Despite the width of the track, there never seems to be enough room and that makes for exciting racing.

“After being ill at the previous race on the Gold Coast – I’m sure the desert air will be good for my health and we will give it a big crack”

IRWIN Racing engineer Marcus Clarke has planned for the unique challenges of racing at the desert venue.

“The track is literally an oasis in the desert,” said Clarke.

“Sand dunes line the circuit and that has a big effect on surface grip and even windscreen damage. Last year almost all of the teams changed windscreen overnight due to the constant sandblasting from the circuit.

“The track is constantly cleaned by the local workers and very little rubber is put down to increases the grip. We need to stay on top of this to ensure that we get the most out of the car.”