After dipping a toe in the water last season Winton based NZV8 Touring Car driver Nathan Pilcher is leaping in at the deep end for this year’s Championship which kicks off at Hampton Downs in North Waikato over the weekend of 1/2 November.
Pilcher did two rounds of the championship last season in his ex-TraNZam Lights car which was not eligible for championship points as it was an older car than those contesting the series. However, had he been eligible for points he would have grabbed a decent haul from his outings at Teretonga and Timaru as he proved to be quick and consistent in his debut in the category.
Encouraged by those performances Pilcher has moved quickly, purchasing the ex-Nick Ross/Matt Booth Holden Commodore in which he will contest the full TL Championship this year. The TL class of the championship is the only V8 category in the country eligible for full New Zealand Championship honours this season.
With the car ready and waiting the hunt is now on for sponsorship to contest the series. Penrite Oil, Forklifts NZ Ltd and The Classic Car Warehouse are already on board and negotiations are proceeding with other companies. Pilcher is approaching his campaign in a highly professional manner, offering sponsors not only the direct exposure associated with the crowds and television coverage at each round but providing more value with extras such as hot laps for sponsors and their clients, the opportunity to use the car and team in displays and sales promotions while also seeking extra opportunities such as attending car shows. The championship will take Pilcher and his team all over New Zealand with highlights including his home round at Teretonga in January, the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild in February and being a part of the V8 Supercar event at Pukekohe in April in front of the massive crowds and television audiences at that venue.
The 25 year-old is also looking at possibly adopting a charity to benefit from his racing efforts. The goal for the season is straightforward, “to finish first, first you must finish,” he says but the former Dunedin and Cromwell ace who now resides in Central Southland has an excellent pedigree. He began racing Speedway at the age of fifteen, becoming the Otago Champion at just seventeen years of age. Since moving to circuit racing he has competed in the Pre 65 Saloon category, the South Island Endurance Series in a V6 Commodore and also in the TraNZam Light car in various events.
NZV8 Touring Cars are another step up for Pilcher but everything he has achieved to date suggests it will be a challenge that he will take in his stride.
