Perkins concerned for future in main game

Jack Perkins is concerned about the longevity of his main game seat, after his returning assault on the V8 Supercar Championship has failed to go to plan.

Difficulty adjusting to his Ford Performance Racing Falcon has seen the 27-year old record only one top 10 finish in his first full-time drive since 2009, where he is only contracted to pilot the Team JELD-WEN entry for one year.

With a spot on the grid not secure beyond 2014, Perkins said he needs to place the #18 entry, run under Charlie Schwerkolt's REC, inside the top 10 as soon as possible.

"It's been a pretty brutal start to the year," he told v8supercars.com.au.

"You can't be here just making up the numbers, you need to perform to make sure I'm back next year and unfortunately, the 2014 season with Team JELD-WEN hasn't gone to plan so far.

"Hopefully we can get that back on track and get some good results in the middle of the season, but to make sure I'm back on the grid next year we really need to lift our game."

After making some progress in New Zealand, the Melbourne-resident was hopeful to improve his championship standing last weekend in Perth.

However poor qualifying results, combined with tyre punctures in Race 15 and a drive-through for an unsafe release from pitlane in Race 16 cost Perkins the opportunity.

Now, with Ford Performance Racing to test at Winton in the first week of June, Mark Winterbottom will jump in the #18 to gauge it's performance.

"We have the same components, access to everyone's data, it's absolutely identical - so it's whoever gets it right on the day," Winterbottom said on his live chat.

"We actually on the test day are all going to swap cars -I'm going to jump in Jack's car, he's going to jump in my car, I'm going to jump in Reynolds' car, just to make sure we're all ok.

"The guys can just make sure they're happy with the car and make sure they are the same."

Winterbottom noted Perkins' difficult qualifying.

"He needs a confidence boost, he needs to know the car is the same, he needs to just learn how to drive the car - so big test day for him but we need him up there. Four of us fighting everyone would better than three of us, so we're pushing pretty hard to get him comfortable and we'll make sure he gets back up there."

Perkins' seat in the Team JELD-WEN entry comes after contending in the 2007 and 2009 seasons, while successfully competing as an enduro co-driver and in the Dunlop development series during his years outside of the category.In fact, the young gun celebrated his 50th Championship start in Perth, though he has only contested five rounds so far this season.

The son of racing legend Larry Perkins said it has been a struggle to get back on to the grid as a full-time driver, and is eager to repeat the motor racing success he has had outside of the category.

"I've been working incredibly hard for four years to get back to where I am and a lot of people don't realise the hard work that goes in behind the scenes and the political side of things to get involved in the main game," Perkins explained.

"I can't be grateful enough to Charlie [Schwerkolt] and the sponsors on car 18 for the opportunity this year and for me it's about delivering.

"I've been employed to drive the car for a reason based on my [past] results, which is a fantastic thing for a driver. It's a matter of making it work and doing the very best I can every time I jump in the car, and hopefully we will get rewarded for our efforts soon and that I can be in the main series for many years to come."

Although Perkins has completed stints in the Championship, his full-time drive aspirations have been hindered by his diagnosis of Type One Diabetes.

The Ford driver was first diagnosed in 2006 and managed to keep his condition private until having to withdraw from the last two rounds in his V8 Supercar rookie year in 2007.

"For nearly 18 months I lived a pretty secret life about what was going on health wise," he revealed.

"You're on five injections a day and you're constantly testing your blood glucose levels - to keep that private from people around you, like friends and family, pit crew, engineers, team owners, it's not an easy thing.

"When I got thrusted into the Jack Daniel's Racing team full-time in 2007, which was probably well ahead of where my ability and experience put me, unfortunately the burden of having to deliver on track whilst still being relatively green, in terms of car racing and representing sponsors... something had to give.

"For me it was just a matter of coming forward with my condition and getting on with life with it."

Perkins' condition failed to slow the athlete down, strictly managing his Type One Diabetes with a disciplined fitness regime that earns him the title of one of the fittest drivers in pit lane.

"I don't just race cars, I need to be quite disciplined in my management of diabetes to ensure that when I'm driving I'm at no risk to myself or the other competitors," he said.

"A lot of that starts with all my fitness training I do during the week. Training five to six days a week, really getting an understanding of what your blood glucose level does under physical exertion, stress, heat, all those sorts of things.

"It allows me to make sure that when I jump in the car the only thing I need to make sure of is making it go fast around the race track."

At the close of the Perth 400, Perkins is now 21st in the Championship standings.

The next Super Street V8 Supercars event is not far away, with the challenging Towsnville street circuit coming up in July.The Castrol Townsville 500 is one of the biggest parties of the year, with intense racing and a range of entertainment options for everyone -grandstand and GA tickets are available now.

The SKYCITY Triple Crown in Darwin marks the V8 Supercars' next on-track appearance next month.