Richards: Top 10 To Stay

Hamilton BNTV8s driver Simon Richards heads to the Invercargill circuit of Teretonga Park Raceway this weekend with the straight forward ambition to remain within the top 10 in the championship where he currently resides.

A stunning opening round at Pukekohe in November followed by a solid round at Ruapuna before the Christmas break sees the SEW Eurodrive BA Ford Falcon driver sitting 10th in the hotly contested BNTV8s Championship.

The meeting at Invercargill is the first of back to back South Island rounds with the championship heading to Timaru International Motor Raceway the following weekend.

After a strong start to the season and the race car in top notch condition, Simon Richards and the Ballistic Motorsport team were able to enjoy their Christmas break before getting back into it and doing all they can to keep the results coming this new year.

"We have made a few minor changes to the car but it has been going so well and showing such good speed that we pretty much left it alone over the break."

"We're sitting in the top ten in the championship, so this weekend we will be trying our hardest to make the top ten for the round - we didn't quite make that at Ruapuna which was disappointing but I really like Teretonga and we just need to make sure we keep scoring solid points." he says.

Invercargill's Teretonga Park has been a favourite with many drivers over the years and Simon Richards has been making the long distance trek to the world's southern most circuit with the family for many years.

"Teretonga is an awesome track, it's the fast flowing nature of the circuit which makes it a driver's circuit and every corner is a challenge and enjoyable and turn one there is no other turn like it - it's a shame it's so far from Hamilton."

"We have been going down there for years, we used to go down there with the old man when he was racing Formula Fords in the 80s - he was NZ champ, he was pretty sharp in his day and won a few races, but now he has to work on my car." laughs Richards.

This weekend the game plan for Richards and the Ballistic Motorsport crew is to get off to a good start in qualifying and build on that in the races to score some solid points and stay in the top of the standings.

"The car has been showing good speed at this season so far and should be good there too, it's just a matter of getting some good laps in for qualifying and that will determine the weekend." he says.

Practice and qualifying including the top 10 shootout will take place this Saturday the 16th with all three races being held Sunday the 17th.

The shootout and all races will be televised Sunday on TV3.

The BNT V8s round four will follow immediately next weekend at Timaru International Motor Raceway on the 23-24th January before returning to the North Island for round five at Manfeild Autocourse in February with the final at Taupo in March.


Richards campaign in the 2009/2010 BNT V8s Championship is supported by
SEW-EURODRIVE, bMac Sheetmetals ( Invercargill ) Solid Gold FM, BSPORT,
Choice Hotels Australasia, Machinery House, Classic Cover Insurance and Europcar