Tasman Top Ten again at Sandown 500
18/9/2004 17:51 (Press Release) -
Tasman Inner Circle Rum Motorsport gave its newly announced major sponsor something to cheer about with its third Top 10 finish of the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series after the #3 Holden Commodore of Jason Richards and Fabian Coulthard finished 9th at the Sandown 500.
In what became a war of attrition as slippery mud was regularly tracked across the racing line by wayward cars, causing more carnage, only 24 cars of the 35 which started the race managed to finish. Only 10 – including the Tasman car – were able to finish within a lap of eventual race winner, SBR’s Marcos Ambrose and Greg Ritter.
Starting from 23rd position on the grid after a difficult qualifying session yesterday, Coulthard drove the first stint and had campaigned strongly into 17th placing before falling off the leading lap due to a drive-through penalty incurred after he spun and hit another car.
He handed over to Richards, who despite having a “moment” of his own, took every opportunity presented to him on the way to fulfilling the team’s ambition of yet another Top 10 finish.
“As we were about to go racing after another Safety Car, I thought the field was accelerating so I went too, and nearly rammed the DJR car in front of me,” Richards said. “I had to swerve off the track to miss him and dropped a few places. It was my own fault.”
However, Richards atoned for the error with a steady, chanceless drive and as others came to grief ahead of him, a great finishing position loomed.
“At best I could have picked up another position at the end, (Paul) Dumbrell was just ahead of me, but that would have been all,” Richards said. “We were a lap down on the leaders after that so 9th was not a bad result at all.”
Coulthard said his stint had proved a great learning experience. “I had a good start, we picked up a heap of positions, then had a minor off and lost a few, then got locked up and couldn’t help hitting the Tratt car,” he said.
“It’s been good to get some more racing laps under my belt and I’ll go to Bathurst with a lot more confidence.”
The result improves Richards’ championship standing to 20th position, and within 100 points of 11th-placed Paul Weel.
“We’re just looking to put together the most consistent results we can, obviously we can’t win the championship but it’s important to us and our sponsors that we battle on every inch of the way,” Richards said.
“We’re making a statement this year that we can play in the big league, and that’s what we intend to do next year with two cars.”
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