Norton Hornets aim to continue strong form in Tasmania

SYMMONS PLAINS, Australia – Norton Hornets drivers Michael Caruso and James Moffat will look to continue their strong form at this weekend's V8 Supercars event at Symmons Plains, near Launceston, Tasmania.

At the Australian Grand Prix last week, Caruso scored his and Nissan Motorsport's maiden V8 Supercars pole position, and backed that raw speed up with a great podium result (third overall).

Moffat ran inside the top 10 in the first three races at Albert Park and was placed fourth in the last race, only to be the innocent victim in a clash between his rivals.

The Symmons Plains event marks the second event on the calendar, following the Clipsal 500 Adelaide. Moffat and Caruso currently sit 10th and 11th in the championship.

Practice will be held on Friday ahead two 100km races on Saturday and one 200km race on Sunday.

Michael Caruso, #36 Norton Nissan Altima

"I'm excited to go to Tasmania. I'm in a decent spot in the championship, and I'm not far off those in front," said Michael Caruso.

"We know what we've done to the car in the off season has helped us, so we're in a better position than we were last year.

"The circuit is technically quite hard. There's only a handful of corners, so you have to get your set-up spot on for qualifying, and that will be the key to getting a result.

"The weather will play a big part as well. If you can make the right calls at the right time, then we could be in for a good weekend."

James Moffat, #360 Norton Nissan Altima

"Symmons Plains was frustrating last year, but our cars have shown significant improvement since we were last, so I think we can expect to be a bit more competitive," said James Moffat.

"Of the events that are coming up, Symmons is probably going to be the most challenging, considering where our overall package is. The track has the slowest corner, leading onto a 270kmh straight, which is our worst-case scenario.

"Having said that, with the off-season improvements we've had, we should be much closer to the pace than last year.

"Typical of Symmons Plains, the times between the cars is split by nothing. If you're a couple of tenths off, you can be right down the back, so qualifying will be critical.

"My focus for the weekend is to come out of Symmons Plains in a similar championship position to where I am now (10th). I feel that if we come out of here OK, then we've got some really good tracks coming up like Winton, New Zealand and Perth that should suit us."

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