CPRacing Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas,
Personally I can’t believe its this time of the year again. I have been so busy I’ve only just realised it is Christmas tomorrow because people have started asking me what I‘ve got for
them! They are dreaming!
Looking back over the year for me has been full on but very exciting. 13 months ago I was working full time as a Fitter & Turner for an engineering company here on the Gold Coast wondering if I would ever race again. Firstly I was excited when good friend Ash Cairns invited me back to make an assault on the NZ V8 Ute Championship. With support from ENZED, Cairns Bins and KD Training and equipped with the Western Motors Pit Crew I grabbed the opportunity. With an impressive list of results we walked away being the 2009-2010 NZ championship winning Ute team. I also had my first taste of the NZ V8 Championship doing a couple of rounds in the Design AutoTek - New Balance Falcon.
I then hunted for a drive in the 10 year Ute Championship anniversary at Clipsal in March. I was grateful to pick up a drive with Peter Burnitt and Big Gun Racing for the event. To finish the final 4th and now hold the lap record was a good result.
Next came the real challenge! The ‘Trans Tasman Challenge’. This was held around the streets of Hamilton during the V8 Supercar round. A number of Aussies came across the ditch for the challenge. Back in 2006 when Ute racing was first introduce to NZ, the event was held at Manfeild and Kanagroos got the better of us on home turf. This wasn’t going to happen again! After 3, no holes barred, door to door races, the Kiwis were triumphant. To win the event outright was a big achievement for my team and myself. These were the kind of results I needed to give myself a chance to get back into the Australian motorsport scene.
Not long after Hamilton, a drive became available in Aus. It sounded like a huge opportunity. I had nothing to loose so I was straight on the phone! A few weeks later I was in Sydney for a test day at Wakefeild Park and to meet the team. Winton was the next round and was also a test for me to see if I would retain the drive in the ’Ice Break, Real Coffee, Ice Cold’ Holden for the remainder of the series. We showed good potential which was enough to lock me in till the end of the year. I was wrapped! Looking back over the season it was fairly successful. To join the series late and end the championship with race wins and taking out the Gold Coast round was pretty cool and deserved by everyone involved. To tell you the truth, I am a little disappointed to finish 4th in the championship and miss out on a podium by only one measly point. If only I was a championship driver at Clipsal and could include those points!
Two rounds into the NZ Championship I have had a tough start. The Gallagher/ENZED Falcon has shown very good pace but unfortunately ‘lady luck’ hasn’t been on my side! Qualifying comfortably on pole at each round is a good way to kick things off but uncontrollable mechanical dramas like a diff housing braking isn’t. We have made the best of rough start and look forward to solid results ahead. To currently sit in 3rd in the championship isn’t ideal but I will be working over time to claw the points back at every chance! I am looking forward to getting back to Invercargill for round 3 in a few weeks then on to Timaru.
Looking ahead to 2011 in Australia everything sounds promising. We will be running the ‘Ice Break, Real Coffee, Ice Cold’ #42 Holden again. In the past I have found myself grabbing opportunities when they arise and not often having the chance to do an entire championship in Australia so I look forward to the prospect of being able to have a crack at the title. At this point I aim to get back into the V8 Supercar Championship so I am actively seeking any opportunities including an Enduro drive.
All in all its been a crazy year and I’m loving it!
Thanks to everyone who has been involved for there input and effort which has given me these opportunities especially ‘Ice Break, Real Coffee, Ice Cold’, Gallagher Group, ENZED, Darren Park, Ash Cairns, The ‘Ice Break‘ team and Western Motors crew.
Thank you for your support and Merry Christmas, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year. Bring on 2011!
CP
