6/09/2005
Skaife Turns To Kids Games For V8 Edge
June 9, 2005 - 7:44PM
V8 Supercar veteran Mark Skaife has resorted to childrens video games to get an extra advantage for the inaugural championship round at Shanghai.
No V8 driver has raced on the Shanghai circuit, widely considered the best in the world, with Formula One and MotoGP the only races to be held at the 200,000 seat stadium.
To acquaint himself better with the circuit Holden driver Skaife admitted he had spent hours on his XBox learning the ins and outs of the track.
Preparation is widely considered the key to winning this weekend's inaugural Asian race, with the two hour practice session carrying huge importance.
Skaife has left no stone unturned in his bid to claim his first win of the year and break a round win drought extending back to Sandown in 2003.
"In principle the lines of a Formula One and a touring car are pretty similar, so some of the approaches Formula One cars take into certain corners we have been looking at," said Skaife.
"We have also used simulation to try and analyse the circuit itself. And I have jumped on the XBox and had a look at it.
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"But until you really get on the circuit you don't know how valuable that information is until you're really using it.
"I love going to new racetracks and I'm really looking forward to having a run at this one because it is a very weird sort of complex track and it is going to take a lot of thought and application to do a really good job there." Skaife hasn't had the greatest start to the season, crashing in each of the last two rounds, but still sits fifth in the series led by Ford's Marcos Ambrose.
"(The year has) been very encouraging in terms of speed. We won the Grand Prix (non-championship race) and have been plenty fast enough but had some run ins with Ambrose the last couple rounds which cost us what would have been good results," said Skaife.
"At Barbagallo (Perth) we won the first race and probably should have won the weekend and we were fast enough at Eastern Creek to have probably won.
"It has not gone our way but having said that I am still fifth in the series and not far away.
"I think that as the luck turns a bit we will be in shape." Skaife's two round ruining incidents have both involved collisions with Ambrose, straining an already frosty relationship between the pair.
Both have fired verbal shots at each other through the media but Skaife said nothing has been spoken between the pair.
"We have not spoken since Eastern Creek," said Skaife of Ambrose.
"He is the lead Ford guy and I'm the lead Holden guy so there is a real rivalry there.
"So far the incidents with Marcos have cost me two really good results and I'm certainly disappointed about it.
"I'm just going to get my head down and get into it. Those things don't always happen like that. If you're going to have those sorts of dramas you don't always come out second best, every dog has his day." The one and only practice session will be held with the qualifying, top 10 shootout and first race to be held on Saturday
V8 Supercar veteran Mark Skaife has resorted to childrens video games to get an extra advantage for the inaugural championship round at Shanghai.
No V8 driver has raced on the Shanghai circuit, widely considered the best in the world, with Formula One and MotoGP the only races to be held at the 200,000 seat stadium.
To acquaint himself better with the circuit Holden driver Skaife admitted he had spent hours on his XBox learning the ins and outs of the track.
Preparation is widely considered the key to winning this weekend's inaugural Asian race, with the two hour practice session carrying huge importance.
Skaife has left no stone unturned in his bid to claim his first win of the year and break a round win drought extending back to Sandown in 2003.
"In principle the lines of a Formula One and a touring car are pretty similar, so some of the approaches Formula One cars take into certain corners we have been looking at," said Skaife.
"We have also used simulation to try and analyse the circuit itself. And I have jumped on the XBox and had a look at it.
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"But until you really get on the circuit you don't know how valuable that information is until you're really using it.
"I love going to new racetracks and I'm really looking forward to having a run at this one because it is a very weird sort of complex track and it is going to take a lot of thought and application to do a really good job there." Skaife hasn't had the greatest start to the season, crashing in each of the last two rounds, but still sits fifth in the series led by Ford's Marcos Ambrose.
"(The year has) been very encouraging in terms of speed. We won the Grand Prix (non-championship race) and have been plenty fast enough but had some run ins with Ambrose the last couple rounds which cost us what would have been good results," said Skaife.
"At Barbagallo (Perth) we won the first race and probably should have won the weekend and we were fast enough at Eastern Creek to have probably won.
"It has not gone our way but having said that I am still fifth in the series and not far away.
"I think that as the luck turns a bit we will be in shape." Skaife's two round ruining incidents have both involved collisions with Ambrose, straining an already frosty relationship between the pair.
Both have fired verbal shots at each other through the media but Skaife said nothing has been spoken between the pair.
"We have not spoken since Eastern Creek," said Skaife of Ambrose.
"He is the lead Ford guy and I'm the lead Holden guy so there is a real rivalry there.
"So far the incidents with Marcos have cost me two really good results and I'm certainly disappointed about it.
"I'm just going to get my head down and get into it. Those things don't always happen like that. If you're going to have those sorts of dramas you don't always come out second best, every dog has his day." The one and only practice session will be held with the qualifying, top 10 shootout and first race to be held on Saturday
