Perkins determined to repay Super2 faith

Jack Perkins is determined to show his full potential in the final three Dunlop Series rounds after a torrid start to 2023.

Perkins combined with Erebus Motorsport and Shaw & Partners to put together a Super2 programme ahead of his third year driving with Will Brown.

The second-generation racer started 2023 with a stirring drive to second in Newcastle, with the win slipping from his grasp after a late overtake by Cooper Murray.

However, Perkins has been luckless since — he was caught out in the Newcastle finale pile-up before being taken out in Townsville practice.

The next stop on the Super2 calendar — Sandown — has been a happy one for Perkins, who won the 2019 round and finished second in the finale last year.

If he can replicate such form next weekend, Perkins says it would be just reward for the effort that has gone into his programme amid the run of outs.

“We want to be challenging for wins in Super2. Don’t forget, we nearly won the first race of the year,” Perkins told Supercars.com.

“The second race [in Newcastle] we got held up massively in qualifying, started down the back, worked back to the front then got caught up in someone else’s crash.

“Perth was pretty ordinary from a car set-up and competitive point of view, and Townsville, you never know what could’ve happened.

“We haven’t been able to put our best foot forward, but it hasn’t been through a lack of trying.”

In 15 Super2 race starts at Sandown, Perkins has eight top five finishes, headlined by victory in the first race of the 2011 round for Sonic Motor Racing.

Confidence is high heading to the Melbourne round, given Perkins recently completed a solid test day — a far cry to earlier attempts which were ruined by rain.

Should Perkins deliver results in his Super2 Commodore, the 37-year-old believes he will be able to carry even more confidence into the enduros alongside Brown.

“It’s been a massive effort from myself, my partners and Erebus to make this happen,” Perkins said.

“For the first time since February, we were able to get a test day in, because two others had been rained out [at Winton].

“We’re really confident heading to Sandown now in that car to get some results, and hopefully we can take confidence into the Sandown 500. It's my third year with Will, I’m looking forward to it, Erebus has had a great year.

“Winning in Super2 was 100 per cent the plan — Newcastle we finished second, and we proved that’s where we can run if we do everything right.

"Like I said, it takes a massive effort to put a Super2 programme together. I’m hopeful I can repay the faith at Sandown."

Perkins will be in double duty at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, racing his #70 Shaw & Partners Super2 Commodore before sharing the #9 Coca-Cola Camaro with Brown.