MOTORSPORT: Gold Coast action distraction

There will be some relief along pitlane this morning as the V8 engines fire up to commence proceedings at the Castrol Gold Coast 600.

Compared to the hectic off-track action that has taken place since Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards claimed Triple Eight's sixth Bathurst 1000 victory less than two weeks ago, 25 V8 Supercars bouncing, ricocheting and two-wheeling their way around the cramped confines of the concrete-lined Surfers Paradise street track will seem almost sedentary.

Drivers have moved, teams have reconstructed and even the championship has announced format renovations for next year. But perhaps the most intriguing story of all is that of Russell Ingall. Out of retirement to replace the injured James Courtney at the Holden Racing Team for the Sandown and Bathurst enduros, The Enforcer has jumped from red to blue for the Gold Coast.

The 51-year old will drive with Cam Waters in place of the injured Chaz Mostert, in the Prodrive Racing Australia/Pepsi-Max Falcon. The young charger is out for the rest of the season after his horrendous Bathurst qualifying shunt.

How HRT managed to let Ingall slip out of its grasp after two of the three co-driver enduros and cross to its second fiercest rival – fellow factory Holden team Triple Eight/Red Bull being the fiercest - is the subject of various different theories. Ingall's gone for the 'happy coincidence' line, while HRT is convinced it was a deal done even before Ingall clambered into the Commodore on raceday at Mount Panorama and drive to 11th with Jack Perkins. Whatever, it's made for some fun toing and froing with more than a little underlying venom.

Try this character reference for Ingall delivered by HRT hardman Garth Tander via AAP: "I don't think he is the type of guy you would like to go to war with – he looks like he swaps sides pretty quickly.

"I think we all know what Russell is like," said Tander.

Take that!

The notoriously feisty Ingall won't be amused. Let's hope he and Tander end up on-track close together at some point over the weekend. It certainly should be an eventful meeting of minds and metal – and maybe even concrete.

There is a certain symmetry in Ingall's defection, as he swapped from Perkins Commodore to Stone Brothers Falcon in 2003-2007, winning his sole V8 Supercars championship in the process in 2005 (pictured). In reality, Ingall's defection didn't cause too much inconvenience for HRT because Courtney has been declared fit to race for the first time since being hit by debris swirled into him by a low-flying Navy helicopter in Sydney in August (inflicting five broken ribs and a punctured lung).

Courtney isn't the only recovering driver taking part, as DJR Team Penske's Scott Pye suffered a fractured rib at Bathurst.

But while all those are talking points, the main interest this weekend is if Mark Winterbottom can survive the usual carnage and maintain his stranglehold on the championship.

Going into the weekend he leads Lowndes by 399 points. There are up to 300 points up for grabs this weekend and another 900 points maximum to be won in the three sprints rounds that come after this. So Winterbottom and his Pepsi-Max Ford Falcon FG X are not yet across the line and uncatchable, but it would take an incredible surge from Lowndes and a meltdown by Frosty for that to happen.

With Mostert out of the action, the only other real championship possibility is the third PRA driver David Reynolds in The Bottle-O Falcon. Reynolds, who has become infamous for his 'pussy wagon' comments and resulting $25,000 fine at Bathurst, is having his best season on-track ever.

Trouble is, his 'brand' is so tarnished now he could still be without a drive in 2016 even if he does win the championship.

Here's what to look out for this weekend:

>> The Castrol Gold Coast 600 comprises race 26 and 27 of the championship. Both are 300km co-driver mini-marathons, with one held one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. This is also the finale of the three-round Pirtek Enduro Cup, which also includes the Wilson Security Sandown 500 and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

>> Winterbottom and co-driver Steve Owen lead the PEC on 576 points from Tander and Warren Luff (498), Tekno Autosports crew Shane van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb (438), Lowndes and Steven Richards (432) and Reynolds and Dean Canto (426).

>> If Winterbottom/Owen claim the PEC it will be the first series silverware PRA – or Ford Performance Racing – has won in its 11-year existence.

>> But more important titles could soon follow as Winterbottom leads the drivers championship on 2491 points from Lowndes (2092), Reynolds (2059), the absent Mostert (2017) and Fabian Coulthard (BJR) on 1934 points. And Pepsi Max Crew lead the teams championship on 4508 points, from Red Bull Racing (3790), Holden Racing Team (3737), Team BOC and Freightliner Racing (3326) and Jack Daniel's Racing (2531).

>> Super-sub Ingall becomes the first driver to make 250 V8 Supercar race starts on the Gold Coast. But this could be both his and former teammate Marcos Ambrose's last V8 race. The latter is set to announce whether he will continue on – presumably as a DJRTP co-driver – after the Gold Coast races.

>> Both hard and soft Dunlop tyres are used in the races, two pit stops are compulsory and the co-driver must complete a minimum one third distance (34 laps).

>> Qualifying is always crucial in V8 Supercars but especially so here as no winner has ever come from outside the top six. There will be a top 10 shoot-out on Saturday.

>> Safety cars are almost a given – 26 of 30 championship races on the Gold Coast incurring a full course yellow at some stage.

>> Both Channel 10 and Fox Sports will telecast this event, but then it's back to pay TV exclusive live telecasts at the next two events in New Zealand and at Phillip Island.

>> David Reynolds owns the qualifying lap record 1 min 10.0480 sec. Will Davison holds the race lap record in a Falcon FG at 1 min 10.0851 sec.

>> The 2.98km street circuit has lots of 90 degree turns and high kerbs. So the emphasis is on ride compliance and power down. Get it wrong and the concrete awaits. The chicanes on the front and back straights make for spectacular two-wheeling action but also smash rims, suspension arms and damper tubes.