Bahrain V8 drivers are well known for their sophisticated driving techniques on a difficult race track. They are the top drivers in their sport and they’re all looking to secure the Championship title of the Australian V8. Their skill at reaching top speeds along the straights while manoeuvring the tight turns by just the right amount of braking makes them the envy of all of their fans. They’re clever, daring, and in short, some of the best drivers in the world. Who are these guys?
Jamie Whincup
The two time winner of the Desert 400 and also of the entire championship, Jamie Whincup is arguably one of the best Bahrain V8 drivers in the series at present. The man was born to race. His career behind the wheel started when he was just seven years old racing go-karts. He eventually retired from Karting and joined the Formula A series in 1999. In 2000, he progressed to Formula Ford. He won the Desert 400 in 2008 and 2010 and was the Austrailan V8 Champion in 2008 and 2009. He finished 2nd in the 2010 race.
Mark Winterbottom
Mark Winterbottom, another man who was practically born in a race car, won the Desert 400 event in 2007. He began racing motorbikes when he was eight years old. He switched to go-karts at age ten and stayed with them until he was in his twenties. By that time, he had already won ten Australian Kart Championships and twenty-five State Karts Championships. In 2002 he began an explosive career with Australian Formula Ford, and finished in third place for the V8 Supercar Championship series in 2010.
James Courtney
While James Courtney never actually won the Desert 400, he is definitely worth mentioning here as he is the 2010 Australian V8 Supercar Champion. Although this is his only championship win in the series, he’s always been one of the best Bahrain V8 drivers, finishing in the top 10 for the last 4 years. As for his childhood, he was World Junior Karting Champion in 1995 when he was fifteen years old. He suffered severe injuries from a Jaguar testing crash in 2002, but made a full recovery and rejoined racing in 2003.
Jason Bright
Bright makes the list as one of the best Bahrain V8 drivers for being the first driver to win the Desert 400 in 2006 when it opened. He began his racing career at the age of fifteen and won the Junior Club Championship at the Gippsland Go Kart Club. The following year he won the Senior Club Championships. He began racing in the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 2000. He finished well from 2001-2006 in the top ten, earning third place in 2001 and 2004.
These amazing drivers represent only a small portion of the many top notch V8 supercar drivers. They all have their own unique stories that brought them into the racing world, but all share the same passion for speed that has kept them there. Keep watching the Bahrain International Circuit races to catch a glimpse of all the other Bahrain V8 drivers.