Besnard Ready For New Zealand
27/4/2004 23:45 (Press Release) -
WPS Racing is heading into the third round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series in New Zealand looking to maintain the momentum from its impressive season-opening performances in Adelaide and Eastern Creek.
Driver David Besnard said the team’s goal at the start of the season was to finish the first year inside the top 15.
“We are currently 13th in the championship and we have got there with a few problems,” said Besnard.
“I had an incident in Adelaide where I was pushed into a wall and a few other things didn’t go our way. Then at Eastern Creek I had a touch with (Tony) Longhurst when I was making ground on Lowndes (who finished on the podium).
“So we are not lucky to be 13th. We have been unlucky to get there.”
Regardless, Besnard said WPS Racing was conscious that one poor result or a failure to finish a round would hamper the team’s ability to either maintain its position or push any higher up the table.
He said WPS Racing had done further work on its engines and he was ‘confident we will be strong in New Zealand’.
“We would be very disappointed if we didn’t do well in New Zealand,” said Besnard, who had a podium finish in 2002 in New Zealand.
“That said, if we can walk away in our current position on the championship or better then we are doing pretty good for a new team.”
The 2004 season is the first for WPS Racing, the newest team in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Besnard said the secret to the strong start to the year was the enthusiasm and commitment of the team, most notably owner Craig Gore.
“Craig knows how to put a team together and that is evident in all of his businesses,” said Besnard.
“The fact we all started together has also been a bonus and everyone is working so well together and that translates into results.”
Meanwhile, Besnard said he was keen to see the team’s second car, to be driven by talented driver Mark Noske, on the track in the near future.
He said that having a two-car team would allow the team to get greater data on its car set ups.
“I don’t think having just one car has hurt us but I wouldn’t think we can go too much further without running the second car,” said Besnard.
“There are not a lot of test days allowed so with two cars you can get double the data.”
WPS Racing is still finalising the purchase of a second license to allow it to run a two-car team.
Those negotiations are progressing and are expected to result in WPS Racing fielding two cars shortly after New Zealand.
Release Date: 23/04/2004
WPS Racing
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