Speed Encourages Tasman Motorsport
15/6/2004 11:50 (Press Release) -
The ability to compete on level terms at the top end of the field has been the greatest positive to come out of Round 5 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series for Tasman Motorsport.
With a new chapter set to open at the next round when Tasman Motorsport is expected to finally roll out its much-awaited VY Commodore, the emphasis at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway was less on car development and more on achieving outright speed, a result achieved by driver Jason Richards in often trying conditions.
The weekend got off to a great start when Richards was the lucky beneficiary of a rain shower which swept into the qualifying session, leaving him contesting his first Top 10 Shootout this year. Race 1 was punctuated by a spin into a sandtrap which relegated the #3 Tasman Motorsport car to 25th position, with Richards battling on to finish 20th.
Worse was to come in Race 2 as Richards slid off the circuit on the first corner of the race, rejoining in 31st position with a very bleak outlook for the remainder of the weekend. From that point on it was all good for Richards and Tasman Motorsport, as he attacked the field to make up an amazing 19 positions and finish 12th.
Race three saw Richards pushed back to 14th position after Greg Murphy spun and blocked the pit entry, a position he held until the end of the race to finish in 15th place for the round, improving his championship position to 23rd.
“We certainly found the speed as the weekend went on,” Richards said. “I was disappointed with a couple of driver errors where I put the car off the circuit, but for the most part there were some good positives to come out of the weekend.
“We started the weekend only 28th fastest, in one of the races we had the sixth-fastest lap time, and we briefly made it into the top 10. Between Wally (Storey, chief engineer) and I, we were able to take a car that wasn’t going so well and make something half decent out of it, so that’s got to be a positive as we go forward with a brand new car.”
The next round of the V8 Supercars Championship Series is at Queensland Raceway, near Ipswich, from July 2-4.
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