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V8 Supercars series leader Will Davison has struggled in the wet as Holden veteran Todd Kelly sent an ominous warning in the Perth V8 round.
Wet weather achieved something in Perth that few V8 Supercar drivers have this year - it frustrated series leader Will Davison.
Yet the Ford star still dug deep late on Friday to post the fourth fastest time in the day's final practice session to regain some momentum ahead of the weekend's three 120km races.
Davison arrived at Barbagallo Raceway buzzing from the best season start since 2005 - and third-greatest in a decade.
But he was hardly singing in the rain on Friday after the atrocious conditions combined with the challenging 2.42km circuit to initially make him look more like a backmarker than the V8 benchmark.
However, he could see a silver lining in the storm clouds over the Perth circuit after clocking 1min04.59sec to finish mid-field in overall times after Friday's four practice sessions.
His main championship threat - three-time series winner Jamie Whincup - was also mid-field overall after Holden veteran Todd Kelly sent an ominous warning.
Renowned for his wet weather prowess, Kelly was at it again by clocking the fastest time - 1:03.83 - ahead of the unheralded Jonathan Webb (1:03.91) and former series champion Russell Ingall (1:03.92).
Davison holds a 21-point lead over Whincup ahead of the round four action after snaffling up 94 per cent of the total points on offer to date (846 of 900).
Only the legendary Mark Skaife (97.61 per cent in 2002) and two-time V8 champ and current NASCAR ace Marcos Ambrose (94.4 per cent in 2005) have boasted better stats in the last 10 years.
But Davison won't be taking anything for granted in Perth, especially after Friday's tough practice sessions with more rain expected.
Whincup - along with teammate Craig Lowndes - have won four of the last five Perth races, and the last five pole positions in WA.
"I don't know why it is (he is fast in the rain). But wet weather always spices things up," Kelly said.
"I was a bit nervous before the practice session but the car was quick."
Apart from having a tilt at the 2012 championship, Kelly is also preparing for a landmark move to Nissan next season in which his team will field four cars.
"It is a bit of a balancing act," Kelly said.
Racing on Friday marked the first time the track had been used since a $15 million redevelopment.
The new-look circuit only had the pitlane entry finalised before the final practice session after safety fears were raised by some teams about the original layout - not that Ingall was complaining.
"People keep whingeing and bitching about everything," he said.
"Who cares. You sort it out at the end of the day. If it is a bit more spooky getting onto the track it makes better TV.
"As long as I am not involved I don't give a rat's."