Winton based NZV8 Touring Car driver Nathan Pilcher is ready for the biggest challenge of his motor racing career as he prepares for next weekend’s opening round of the NZV8 Touring Car Championship at Hampton Downs in North Waikato.
The series will be a big step up for Pilcher but he has excelled in every other form of motorsport in which he has competed and he is “excited” about the challenge ahead. “It will be a whole new experience,” he said recently as he prepared for the opening round. “It is raising the bar to be competing in a motor racing series alongside guys like Craig Baird who is an absolute motorsport legend and Australian star Jason Bargwannna!”
Pilcher will have his first competitive drive in his ex-Nick Ross/Matt Booth Holden Commodore at Hampton Downs but he is fresh from the recently completed South Island Endurance Series where he shared the driving of good mate Kieran Roberts’ less powerful Holden Commodore. The duo finished second in their class at Teretonga late in September but did not make it to the startline at Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in Christchurch two weeks later. However they wrapped up the series with a third in class at the final round at Timaru International Motor Raceway recently. That was good enough to secure the pair fourth place overall in their class for the New Zealand Endurance Championship. While the NZV8 Touring Car is a totally different beast Nathan says, “the series gave us valuable racecraft and mileage and was helpful in getting our eye in.” Immediately after the opening round of the NZV8 Touring Car Series Pilcher and Roberts will be back in Roberts’ car again as they race in the Highlands 101 at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell.
While returning from that final round of the Endurance Series at Timaru Nathan was the first on the scene of a serious head-on crash close to his hometown of Winton in Central Southland. Nathan was able to assist at the scene as one driver had suffered serious injuries and had to be cut from his vehicle. “It was a timely reminder of the importance of road safety and first aid,” he says.
Pilcher is contesting the full TL class of the Championship, the only V8 category in the country eligible for full New Zealand Championship honours this season.
Penrite Oil, Forklifts NZ Ltd and The Classic Car Warehouse have thrown their support behind the 25 year-old and he is extremely grateful for their support. However the hunt for more sponsorship continues and he has some innovative ideas on returning benefits to those sponsors.
