Defending champion Caine Lobb heads to the brand new circuit of Hampton Downs Motorsport Park this weekend where he will once again take on part time V8 Supercar driver Chris Pither and aim to close the gap in this year's ENZED V8 Ute Racing Series title chase.

Whangarei driver Lobb and Palmerston North's Pither have been the clear front runners thus far in the season after just two rounds but Pither currently holds the upper hand.

Lobb however made a strong comeback at Pukekohe in December when the crew ironed out some handling issues with the Mark Cromie Holden Racing Team ute and he took his first race win of the season, throwing down the gauntlet for the newcomer for races to come.

On the Hampton Downs circuit nobody can say for sure who the victor will be and whether the new track is going to favour Lobb's Holden or Pither's Ford and promises to be an exciting contest.

"We have done some testing at the track leading up to our first race at Hampton Downs so we have made some changes to our setup on the car which we hope will give us a good chance for some race wins this weekend but we will just have to wait and see how fast the Fords are going to be there." said Lobb.

"I have to keep winning races and finishing in front of Pither." says Lobb.

Both Lobb and Pither are very experienced drivers with Lobb competing his third season in this category and Pither coming from racing across the Tasman in the Australian version of the same series plus enduro drives in the V8 Supercar Championship.

Although the two have been the front runners over the start of this season they could easliy see competition come from Christchurch's Simon Grace who although a rookie to ute racing has been hot on the heels of the pair and sits third in the standings.

Caine Lobb made a dramatic impression on the standings late last season when he stormed to victory after victory when the series toured the South Island eventually earning him the title at the final round in Invercargill.

This year the series again wraps up in the south but with one round each at Powerbuilt International Raceway, Ruapuna and Timaru International Motor Raceway both held in March.

Last season he took seven wins from eight races at the two circuits and hopes to be strong there again against the Ford of Pither and fellow Holden driver Grace as the season again wraps up.

"I could do with a repeat of last year in the South Island that's for sure, I think we will have some good setups for those circuits which will help a lot." he says.

Although a section of the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park circuit remains to be completed this weekend the V8 utes will be expecting to get around the current layout in approxiamately one minute 18 seconds although that time would most likely improve over the weekend as the drivers come to grips with the unfamiliar layout.

"The track is mean but very technical, it's hard to string a lap together but it's very rewarding when you do." Lobb says.

With only a mere handful of events being held at New Zealand's newest circuit so far since it's opening last month, this weekend promises to be the most popular event to date with the ENZED V8 Racing Utes sharing the limelight with the Toyota Racing International Series, Super Mini Challenge, Hauraki Muscle Cars, Porsche Club and Formula First.

There are four races for the ENZED V8 Ute Racing Series altogether this weekend, practice begins on Friday, qualification and racing on Saturday with further races on Sunday.

Media: Iain Whitaker