James Courtney, the last driver to win a V8 Supercar race before Jamie Whincup began his 2010 unbeaten streak, says the championship's return to the Adelaide street circuit next week may help him breakthrough for Ford's first victory of the year.
"Many of my best V8 Supercar results have been on street circuits, including two championship race wins last year (in Townsville and Sydney)," said the Jim Beam Racing Falcon driver.
"I've also been on pole position in Adelaide before so I know I can do a quick lap around there."
"Jamie (Whincup) and his team are doing a great job this year, but no one is unbeatable and I'm up for a street fight with everyone out there next week!"
Courtney is fifth in the 2010 championship going into the Clipsal 500 (March 11-14) after consistent performances in the opening two events, finishing fourth and sixth in races in Abu Dhabi and sixth and seventh in Bahrain.
"I should have done better, especially after qualifying third for two of those races" he said. "I was quick over one lap, but we had car set-up issues in Bahrain and I struggled for grip over the race distance and went backwards."
"That said, I was able to come away with good (championship) points, but now I need to get up the front in Adelaide and hopefully I can be the first Falcon driver to win a race this year."
Courtney won the final race of the 2009 championship on the Sydney street circuit, meaning he was the last driver to taste victory before Whincup dominated this year's Abu Dhabi and Bahrain events in his Team Vodafone Commodore.
The 29-year-old Gold Coast-based driver has gained as reputation as a street circuit specialist since entering the championship.
Apart from his race wins in Townsville and Sydney in 2009, his other street circuit results include podium finishes in Hamilton in New Zealand, Surfers Paradisein Queensland, and in Adelaide.
"I've always been competitive in street racing, going back to my days in Formula 3 in Macau," said Courtney.
"When you drive a big, heavy V8 Supercar on street circuits the car slides around on the bumps, and you have to deal with things like running over man-hole covers, white lines, drains, and different cambers."
Courtney said the 3.2km Adelaide circuit was traditionally one of the most physically demanding on the championship calendar.
"The heat gets trapped between all the concrete barriers and the in-car temperatures can get up around 60-degrees," he said.
"You can't afford a lapse in concentration because if you make a mistake you usually crash into a concrete wall."
Courtney's best past results in the Clipsal 500 were in 2007 when he started from pole position and finished second and third in the two races.
However, his Adelaide assault fell apart for different reasons in the past two years. In 2008 he led the opening race until contact when lapping Jason Richards' Commodore, and 12 months ago he was hampered by a cool suit failure in race one and then crashed in the warm-up before the second race.
This year's Clipsal 500 comprises 78-lap races on March 13 and the following day. Practice begins on March 12.
"After Adelaide we go to another street race in Hamilton (April 16-18) and I expect to be just as quick there," said Courtney.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after event 2):
Jamie Whincup (Holden) 600
Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 543
Shane Van Gisbergen (Ford) 471
Craig Lowndes (Holden) 447
James Courtney (Ford) 420
Rick Kelly (Holden) 392
Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 372
Steven Johnson (Ford) 296
Michael Caruso (Holden) 294
Russell Ingall (Holden) 270
