BNT
V8s driver Nick Ross enjoyed a spectacular 2010-11 championship where
from the bottom of the championship ladder in the early stages of the
season he came storming back to a Top 10 finish after blistering
performances in Timaru, Taupo and at the prestigious ITM 400 in
Hamilton.
With the season over and a new one scheduled to get underway later this
year at Pukekohe Park Raceway over the weekend of 4-6 November, it's a
good time to reflect on the success of the 2010-11 championship and the
indication of more to come from Nick Ross and the Concept Motorsport
Team.
"We just want to stand back and revisit the season to wrap it up before
embarking on the new one and a new campaign. We had some ups and downs
but it's good to be back inside the Top 10 and we will be aiming to
move up from there." said Ross.
With the inclusion of the ITM 400 Hamilton street race into the points
system of the 2010-11 BNT V8s Championship there were seven rounds in
the season, four in the North and three in the South Island.
A tough start to the season cut a hard trail for Ross and the Concept
Motorsport team but their campaign soon took a strong upturn in the
latter stages of the southern leg of the championship.
Driving the Total Lubricants Holden Commodore Ross took his best race
result of the season at Timaru International Motor Raceway placing
second after looking to score his first win until the closing stages of
the race.
It was the third race of the weekend and he had been leading from the
first corner closely followed by Jason Bargwanna and John McIntyre in
what were clearly faster cars on the day. Nearing the end of the race a
late pass from the hard charging Australian V8 Supercar driver
Bargwanna stole the win away from Ross pushing him into second place a
mere few laps before the chequered flag was waved.
Although stripped of a race win Ross was yet hailed as a hero by the
attending sponsors and supporters who had packed the Total Lubricants
hospitality facility to witness the spectacle. Holding off Bargwanna
and then McIntyre throughout the race was an accomplishment not to be
overlooked and a turning point for the team.
That exciting piece of racing and podium finish heralded a change in
the season for Ross and Concept Motorsport with a leap to 15th place in
the BNT V8s championship and a kickstart to a charge which was to later
see them achieve their target for 2010-11.
Signs of the team's race winning potential were again evident at Taupo
Motorsport
Park two rounds later when Ross was once again fighting over the lead
position this time with past BNT V8s champion Andy Booth in another
Commodore.
Booth was expected to be the quicker of the two but it was only a
missed gear change by Ross entering the long final Taupo straight which
prevented him from maintaining the lead over the Auckland driver.
Scott McLaughlin's internationally backed Holden eventually won the
race but it was Ross holding on for third place and yet another podium
which proved Concept Motorsport could build a race car capable of
mixing it up with the more financially endowed teams.
"We started from the front and it's nice to know that once we're there
we can keep up with these guys." said Ross after the weekend.
But the best was left until last with Ross and the team preparing to
once again shine at the ITM 400 Hamilton Street Race, the jewel in the
crown of the BNT V8s Championship season and also home event for the
Cambridge driver.
Entering the event 12th in the standings Ross was targeting a repeat of
the previous year where he placed an impressive sixth place overall.
Achieving this again would more than likely result in finishing the
season inside the Top 10 and meeting the team's goal.
A rain soaked weekend brought with it exciting racing in all categories
and even more than the usual carnage in the BNT V8s races. Ross had a
relatively smooth weekend but was
unable to steer clear of all high speed incidents and was forced to a
complete stop in the opening race to avoid a collision later recovering
to 10th place.
Two more exciting races in the wet pushed Ross to his limits as a
driver but this only proved to bring the best out of the Holden pilot
resulting in two more top 10 finishes and another sixth overall for the
grandest event of the season.
The blistering pace of Ross and the Total Lubricants Commodore between
the concrete walls of the Hamilton street race lifted him into ninth
overall at season's end.
"We made the Top 10 which shows we are getting the work done. But we've
achieved ten, now we want five and then of course one." said Ross after
Hamilton.
"Our thanks, as always, goes out to all of our sponsors who without
them we wouldn't exsist; and of course thanks to the team who all work
so hard."
"I'm very much looking forward to the new season and seeing if we can
improve on what we did in this one and get consistently inside the top
five." said Ross.
NIck Ross and Concept Motorsport are supported by Total Lubricants, ENZED Waikato & Pukekohe
franchises,
Porter Hire, Stingray Marine, Auto Trail Ltd, Teng
Tools, Waikato Car
Rentals, C&R Developments, Classic Cover Insurance, Leamington Auto
Electrical, Hotshot Signs, Strautmann Hopkins, TR Group. |
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