Jack's lap of Ipswich

Having earned a round win at the 3.12km circuit in the Dunlop Series last year, Jack Perkins talked v8supercars.com.au through a lap of Queensland Raceway.

Perkins featured in V8 Supercars Championship practice as a co-driver last year at the circuit, having gone on to contest the Pirtek Enduro Cup with Scott McLaughlin -but this time around he will pilot his Team JELD-WEN Ford Falcon, hoping to post some positive results at the Coates Hire Ipswich 400.

"Queensland Raceway is not everyone's favourite track, but I personally enjoy it," Perkinssaid.

"I've had a lot of success there over the years, including last year where we won the Development Series round -but in previous years I've always had great success there and I quite enjoy the layout.

"It's a very difficult little track - I enjoy it, and it takes a lot to get all six corners right.

"Once you get them right and have success there, it's very rewarding."

"Turn one and turn two make up the first sector.They're both high-speed corners, fourth gear," Perkins explained.

"The circuit was resurfaced two or three years ago [in 2011] -the bumps are still apparent, it's a little bit smoother than what it was in the bumpier state, but the bumps are still apparent and you need really good bump control through those first two corners. Like I said, it sets up that first sector.

"Turn one is pretty crucial to getting your lap time right. You need to hustle the car under brakes into turn one, carry good speed and make sure you don't run off on the exit - it's easy to do, the exit kerb drops away to the dirt.

"And then setting yourself up for turn two, you're on a pretty good lap if you get a bit of rev limiter in fourth gear into turn two.

"Once you get into turn two, you don't want to rush the corner, you've got to get the car settled over the bumps and get a good run onto what is a long back straight.

"Hopefully your first sector time is good, and sets you up for one of the biggest stops, if not the biggest stop on the track - turn three.

"You've got to brake the car nice and deep, a few bumps to contend with, we've seen plenty of blokes crash over the years under brakes here because it's not easy, but like I said it starts up the second sector and is a really different corner from the first two, from high-speed fourth gear stuff, to low speed 180 degree second gear.

"So once you brake the car to the absolute limit, get it around the corner, which is very challenging without upsetting the balance on the way in and the way out - it's a tricky corner to maximise because some of the other corners are quite a lot different. To drive out of there in second gear, is long loaded stuff on the left rear tyre.

"The left rear gets a reasonably hard time around here given the four corners are right handers and only two are left handers.

"You've got to maximse drive out of three and then get yourself geared up for turn four, which again is low speed - either second or third gear, depending on the car and driver preference. They're the only two left-handers on the track, so turn four bleeds into turn five.

"Tricky little corner, you've got to brake deep again - braking's really important around this track -brake the car deep and get through those two corners which really sets up the middle sector.

"And then you approach the final corner, turn six, which is very similar to turn three - 180 degree hairpin turn, which basically equals the whole last sector, that one corner.

"So again, very important to hustle the car under brakes and maximise drive out of there and that's your run out of the start finish line to hopefully finish what was a good lap."

"While some drivers whinge the track is boring -there are quite a lot of passing opportunities compared to tracks like Winton and other tracks where it's heavy braking. And because there's bumps, and varying grip levels exiting corners before, there are quite a lot of passing opportunities, especially with soft tyres -it always generates pretty good racing.

"So approaching turn three, turn four and last corner turn six, normally spruik up a bit of passing. And like I said, the run into turn two is pretty important for passing into turn three.

"And we do see the occasional pass into turn one when there's a bit of rough and tussle in the middle of turn six - sometimes you can get alongside the other guy and pass him into turn one when you're on better tyres.

"It's a pretty good little track, always provides reasonable racing and I'm sure this weekend will be no different."

Tickets are still available for this weekend's Coates Hire Ipswich 400 - click here for more information.