Kiwi V8 Supercars driver Fabian Coulthard cannot wait to meet up with his Aussie rivals this week at Pukekohe to talk about the Rugby World Cup final.
The 33-year-old, who is the leading Kiwi in the V8 Supercars Championship in 2015 in fifth place on the standings, got up at 3am in Melbourne to watch the All Blacks’ historic 34-17 win over Australia.
Coulthard will have plenty to say to his mates from across the ditch as he looks to give his Brad Jones Racing team the ultimate send-off by winning his home race at the ITM 500 Auckland at Pukekohe Park for the first time.
“I am going to talk about it a lot,” he said with a laugh. “It was an amazing performance and we should all be very proud. You know if Australia had won it we would have copped it from pillar to post so we need to make the most of moments like this.”
Coulthard knows that he has precious few moments left to enjoy with his Brad Jones Racing and Freighliner Racing team as he has signed for DJR Team Penske after the team confirmed it would field two V8 Supercars for the 2016 season.
“It is the end of an era,” he said. “I have been with them for four years and I have really enjoyed my time with BJR. I know I have a job to do for them for the remainder of the 2015 season to go out on a high.”
There would be no higher note than finally securing an elusive victory at his home track and holding aloft the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy for the first time.
He will re-familiarise himself with a walk around the Pukekohe circuit on Thursday and cannot wait to get back into the car on Friday for the practice day.
“This track has suited our car in the past. Two years ago my team-mate Jason Bright won at Puke and I have managed a pole and a podium finish there so we have good memories. We are looking forward to getting into our work and preparing the best we can.”
Coulthard, who said the biggest challenge of this week is the media demand being one of a four Kiwis in the field, would love nothing more than securing a famous home victory at Pukekohe.
“There is more pressure this week [being a Kiwi at a home event] but the team just treats it like any other race. We have had a good run in the past few weeks and we’re confident that we’ll put on a good show on the weekend. There is nothing like coming home to race.”
The four New Zealanders in the field including Coulthard are Gold Coast winner Shane van Gisbergen (Team Darrell Lea Tekno), Gold Coast poles-setter Scott McLaughlin (Wilson Security Volvo) and the proud Kiwi team of Andre Heimgartner from Super Black Racing.
The British-born Coulthard has enjoyed four successful seasons with Freightliner Racing, in particular the last three years.
In 2013 he enjoyed a breakthrough year with two pole positions and 12 podium finishes. His sixth place finish in the drivers’ championship was a career best.
Coulthard continued his momentum in 2014 scoring 24 top 10 finishes, three pole positions and six podiums and this year he has been ultra-consistent with 10 podiums and a race win at Adelaide.
It’s form that he hopes he will be able to take across to DJR Team Penske, a move he considers a “huge opportunity”.
“The chance to race for two motorsport legends like Dick Johnson and Roger Penske is something that doesn’t come around too often. Hopefully I can add some knowledge and experience to the team so we can grow the team and be more competitive at the front of the field.”
Penske Racing president Tim Cindric has said Coulthard’s signature has justified the decision to add a second car as he teams up with Scott Pye.
“Scott will have great knowledge of the car and I have good experience of all the tracks and knowledge to add,” said Coulthard. “The team has come on in leaps and bounds in 2015 and we’ll look to build on that next year.”
But that is all in the future, and as Coulthard says, he has a job to do for BJR before he moves on in 2016.
That begins this week as he looks to give the home fans what they have been waiting for.
“I say it every time I come back home that the Kiwi fans are what makes this event special, it is the only V8 event here so the motorsport fans here fully embrace it. The whole year, you know the crowds are there to support the Aussies until you get to Auckland. That makes it an awesome week for the Kiwis.”
Coulthard will begin the week at Pukekohe bragging about the All Blacks and he’s hoping that he’ll have plenty to talk about come Sunday evening as well.
