THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12: James Courtney says the V8 Supercar Championship\'s soft-compound \'sprint\' tyres will face a stern endurance test next week from the sand-swept and traditionally abrasive track surface at Perth\'s Barbagallo Raceway.

The 12th and penultimate championship event from November 20-22 will be the sixth and final occasion this year cars are allocated a set of Dunlop V8 Sport Maxx \'sprint\' tyres for use at any stage across two races, in addition to \'control\' rubber.

\"When you race at Barbagallo it\'s like playing in a sand-pit!\" said the 29-year-old Jim Beam Racing Falcon driver.

\"There is sand everywhere and when the wind blows it onto the track the surface gets very abrasive.\"

\"More sand and debris gets dumped on the track by cars going on and off - it\'s always been a tyre-sensitive circuit, even with the (durable) \'control\' tyres.\"

\"This is the first time we\'ve raced on soft tyres at Barbagallo, and it\'s doubtful the extra grip they provide will last as long as at some of the other tracks where we\'ve used them.\"

\"It\'s going to be a challenge for teams to work out the best tyre strategy.\"

The \'sprint\' tyres were previously used in two-race events at Winton in Victoria, Symmons Plains in Tasmania, Hidden Valley near Darwin, Sandown in Melbourne, and at Queensland Raceway near Ipswich.

Courtney had the \'sprint\' tyres fitted to his FG Falcon in the first of the two races at Sandown and at Queensland Raceway, and finished second both times.

\"I\'ve been on the podium the last couple of times we\'ve used the \'sprint\' tyres, but places like Sandown in Winter are a lot cooler than what we will get in West Australia in November,\" he said.

\"Everything is a bit \'unknown\' so we may see some surprise results, especially if someone is on \'soft\' tyres and gets a lucky break with a Safety Car at the right time.\"

Gold Coast-based Courtney is ninth in this year\'s championship. His results include a race win in Townsville in July, and four other top-three podium finishes.

In 2008 Courtney qualified fifth on the 2.4km Barbagallo circuit. He finished 20th in the first race, after receiving a pit lane penalty for blocking, and was seventh and eighth in the remaining two races.

\"The track is quite interesting because it\'s undulating with a fast downhill straight, and a climb up to the top part of the circuit,\" said Courtney. \"It\'s a big horsepower circuit.\"

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after event 12): Jamie Whincup (Ford) 2,905; Will Davison (Holden) 2,783; Garth Tander (Holden) 2,565; Craig Lowndes (Ford) 2,292; Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1,964; Steven Johnson (Ford) 1,961; Rick Kelly (Holden) 1,925; Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 1,817; James Courtney (Ford) 1,790; Russell Ingall (Holden) 1,676.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Mike Porter - Tel: (0417) 311-997. E-mail: mikep@qldnet.com.au

WEBSITE: http://www.jamescourtney.com.au