Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are located only 400km apart in the Persian Gulf,
but there are massive differences in the track surfaces and grip levels
of their motorsport circuits.

Both have Formula One Grand Prix venues with superb facilities, and we
were able to compare them in the opening two events in the V8 Supercar
Championship during the past week.

Bahrain International Circuit has an abrasive track surface and is
incredibly hard on tyres. I struggled with a lack of grip in both 200km
races the second event of the championship (February 25-27).

By comparison, the Yas Marina Circuit is very smooth and the tyre wear
was much better for my Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon in the championship
opener (February 18-20).

I'm told the surface mixture used on the Bahrain track was chosen to
withstand extreme heat from the local climate.

The track is located in the desert, near the capital of Manama, and sand
and dust gets blown onto the 5.4km layout which makes it even more
abrasive.

Coping with the characteristics of the Bahrain track surface was a
challenge for all the V8 Supercar teams and drivers.

A new set of tyres produced only one quick lap in both qualifying and in
the races before the grip started deteriorating.

Tyre performance dropped away much quicker than at other tracks, and
there was about 3-seconds difference in my quickest and slowest lap
times in both races.

The situation was the same for everyone, but I struggled with car set-up
during the longer driving stints in the races.

Out team made some major car set-up changes before leaving Australia,
and we were unable to made the necessary adjustments while in Bahrain. I
took a cautious approach and did my best with what I had.

In the circumstances I was reasonably pleased to finish sixth in the
first race and seventh in race two. I scored 198 points to retain fifth
position in the championship, which is a lot better than after two
events in 2009.

Fortunately I qualified quite well in Bahrain, finishing fifth in the
Top 10 Shoot Out for race one, and then qualifying third for the second
race.

You don't score any points for qualifying, but when you start on the
first two or three rows of the grid it helps you keep clear of the
mid-field pack where there are more risks of panel-damage and crashes.

I got away with the leading group in the opening laps of both races. I
couldn't stay with Jamie Whincup and Mark Winterbottom, and some others,
but I was able to keep ahead of the usual mid-field dramas.

I was overseas for almost two weeks for the two events in the Persian
Gulf, and we were treated very well by everyone at both Abu Dhabi and
Bahrain. Hopefully our visit will help grow the international profile of
V8 Supercars.

Now I'm looking forward to the Clipsal 500, the third event of the
championship in Adelaide from March 11-14.

The issues I had with my car set-up in Bahrain will be fixed, and I'm
usually competitive on street circuits with wins in Townsville and
Sydney in 2009.

That said, I've had mixed results in Adelaide. In 2007 I won pole
position and finished second and third in the two races, but in the past
two years I had big crashes.

Jamie Whincup has won all four races held this year, so hopefully I can
be the one to break though and end his domination in Adelaide.

The Clipsal 500 always generates plenty of interest among South
Australians, and we always get a big and enthusiastic crowd. I'm sure
that will continue in a couple of weeks.

You can now follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jcourtney18 or
click on the Twitter link on the home page of my website:
http://www.jamescourtney.com.au

Keep smiling.

JC

BAHRAIN RESULTS - JAMES COURTNEY
EVENT 2, V8 Supercar Championship, (February 25-27)

Qualifying - Race 1: 7th
Top 10 Shoot Out: 5th
Race 1 Result: 6th
Qualifying - Race 2: 3rd
Race 2 Result: 7th

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after event 2): Jamie Whincup (Holden) 600, Mark
Winterbottom (Ford) 543, Shane Van Gisbergen (Ford) 471, Craig Lowndes
(Holden) 447, James Courtney (Ford) 420, Rick Kelly (Holden) 392, Lee
Holdsworth (Holden) 372, Steven Johnson (Ford) 296, Michael Caruso
(Holden) 294, Russell Ingall (Holden) 270