V8's perennial underdog to make 100th start.

By Matthew Agius

Brad Jones, the popular battler of V8 Supercar racing, is set to make his one hundredth championship start this weekend at Symmons Plains Raceway when he grids up for the eleventh round of the 2006 V8 Supercar Series.

After twenty years of Australian Touring Car Championship racing, Jones will finally clock a century in the same year that teammate John Bowe claimed his 200th start. Despite having never taken an ATCC or V8 Supercar win, Jones is still keen to take a victory, but with what many predict will be his last year in V8s for the former AUSCAR champion, Jones will be hoping to perform well this weekend in the Ferodo Triple Challenge.

"It might have taken me 20 years, but I got there," said Jones.

"I've gone on record and said that this category has been a lot tougher to break into than we thought. Every category that we have been involved in, as a team; we have dominated.

"Through the Auscar/Nascar program and though the Super Touring program we were always at the pointy end. With the V8's, we haven't done anything different, it's just really, really competitive.

"Have I got a V8 win in me before I retire? I don't know, I hope so, time will tell."

"Symmons Plains is a circuit of extremes; it has one of the fastest straights, preceded by the slowest corner in the championship, so needless to say, it's quite a tough circuit on brakes. It is also one of the shortest circuits, taking less than a minute to complete, so quick pit stops during the race become critical to avoid going down a lap."

This weekend also holds importance for teammate John Bowe as it is his home round of the championship, and also his fifteenth start at the circuit.

"I always look forward to heading home for this round. I head down a little early and catch up with friends and family, which is good."

"It's only the third time we have been back down there since it was reinstated back into the championship, so to be racking up my 15th visit this weekend must mean that I have been around for a while."

Both Team BOC Falcons sit outside the top twenty of the championship after a dismal 2006 season. The team will look to end their season with consistent performances at Symmons Plains this weekend, and then Bahrain and Phillip Island to round out the year.