For all the talk of his Ford teammate Scott McLaughlin and Holden star Jamie Whincup, it's Fabian Coulthard who heads into this weekend's Supercars event on the Gold Coast with the championship lead.
While McLaughlin's electric qualifying form has put most of the attention on the young New Zealander's bid to hold off six-time Supercars champion Whincup, Coulthard's quietly efficient form has ensured a 91-point lead in the series standings.
Coulthard and co-driver Tony D'Alberto finished third at the Bathurst 1000, their podium finish maximising a bad day for McLaughlin (DNF) and Whincup (20th) at Mount Panorama.
Coulthard, who is expecting the birth of twins with partner Becky Lamb the week after the Gold Coast 600, says the lack of attention paid to his championship bid is far from upsetting.
"It doesn't bother me, I've always sort of been the underdog," Coulthard told AAP.
"At the end of the day you go about each weekend trying to do the best you can and we're in this position.
"Everyone's going to have a bad run at some point. I had mine earlier in the year so hopefully it's smooth sailing between now and Newcastle."
The 35-year-old is yet to win a race at the Surfers Paradise street circuit, where wet weather is forecast to cause an additional element of danger for the championship contenders.
Coulthard says racing conservatively won't be his plan however, as he aims to wrap up the Endurance Cup portion of the season with a maiden victory on the Gold Coast.
"At times you have to race smart. The smart thing for me last round was when Scotty and Jamie had a drama and you had to maximise that weekend to put myself in this position," he said.
"You're still going to need to win races ... I would love a first place surfboard - I've got a third place surfboard at home - but I'd love to tick that box off."
The Gold Coast 600 begins with practice on Friday before a 300km race each on Saturday and Sunday.
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