Back to '81 with Orrcon and Winterbottom.

Looking back in history, more specifically to May 20, 1981 and on the new born list at the Price Alfred Hospital one Master Mark Winterbottom born to the proud parents of Jim and June Winterbottom.

With both of his parents being competitive racers in sports sedans and his father a multiple Australian Sprintcar Champion there has always been racing in young Winterbottom's blood.

In the 23 years that have passed since that day Winterbottom has developed into one of Australia's leading young motorsport drivers and is now a part of the V8 Supercar Championship driving an Orrcon Racing Falcon.

Today Winterbottom celebrates his 23rd birthday and he marked the occasion by climbing aboard a 1981 Ford Escort RS2000 at the Stratco Berrimah manufacturing plant leading up to this weekend's round of the V8 Supercar Championship at Hidden Valley.

"When you look back at the cars that these guys were running at the highest level in Australian Motorsport when I was born to where they are now the development is simply amazing," said Winterbottom.

"I also can remember as a kid watching Dick Johnson in his Falcons and dreaming that one day of racing a touring car, a Ford touring car at that."

Johnson won his first Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst race in 1981 driving an XD Ford Falcon. At the very same time Winterbottom was racing from a crawl to a walk.

In the same year the Parramatta Eels and Carlton Football Club claimed the premiership in the leading Rugby League and Australian Rules competitions in the country.

Winterbottom is aiming this weekend to emulate some of the success shown by Johnson, the Eeels and Blues in the year he was born by gaining a good result in his debut at the Darwin circuit.

"Since the start of the year the team has continually improved the car and we have had good pace to be inside the top 10 but have just been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time on a couple of occasions," said Winterbottom.

"I have been in Darwin since Sunday and spent some time with the kids at Ludmilla Primary School on Monday as a part of the Wright Patton Shakespeare Safety Car Program. It has also allowed me to acclimatise myself to the conditions up here.

"It is my first visit to Darwin and I am hoping that I get a belated birthday present with a good result on Sunday."