RICHIE Stanaway is a fascinating character – one that he himself is still learning with regards to what makes him so good in certain circumstances.
Stanaway is sensational in wet conditions. He is very speedy around Mount Panorama rain, hail or shine. But he is still figuring things out in terms of being an effective performer week in, week out in the Repco Supercars Championship.
The PremiAir Racing driver’s first back-to-back top 10s of the season, achieved last weekend at Queensland Raceway, have come at a good time after a rocky June/July stretch.
“We’ve got a very clear understanding of why we struggled in previous rounds and why we managed to improve this weekend,” Stanaway told V8 Sleuth.
“It’s something we can use to build some momentum with going forward. We’re still not quite where we want to be but obviously it’s a good improvement compared to the last few rounds.”
Up next is the AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
Then it’s Bathurst, Gold Coast (where he last year qualified on provisional pole and grabbed a front-row start) and Sandown (another track he typically fares well at). Remembering that Stanaway has won both the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000…
“Part of what we have learnt recently is also understanding why I’m stronger at some of those tracks and not the rounds we’ve previously been to,” he said.
“(Queensland Raceway) is a track that we would have expected me to struggle at but we were able to understand why and how to have a solid weekend. But then it just all comes down to car set-up and technique.
“Going to Bathurst, it doesn’t highlight some of my weaknesses as much, so I feel like I have really learnt a lot out of this year.”
Stanaway will share the #62 Camaro with Nash Morris through the Ryco Enduro Cup.
Nash Morris (right) with James Golding. Pic: Matthew Paul Photography