Kiwi numbers down for Bathurst 1000, but Chris Pither aiming high | Stuff.co.nz

4 Dec 2021

stuff.co.nz

Thanks to Covid-19, New Zealand’s presence at this year’s Bathurst 1000 is down from what it’s been in recent years, but there’s still hope that a Kiwi driver can win the great race for the third time in a row.

Scott McLaughlin, Greg Murphy, Earl Bamber and Richie Stanaway were all hoping to compete, but border issues proved too problematic, so instead of it being a Bathurst 1000 that every motor racing fan in New Zealand would want to be at, Kiwis will watch from home and have just four drivers to cheer on.

Full-time Kiwi Supercars drivers Shane van Gisbergen, Fabian Coulthard and Andre Heimgartner are all at Mt Panorama and so too is Chris Pither, who’ll be Macauley Jones’s co-driver at BJR.

The 34-year-old Pither, from Palmerston North, was a full-time Supercars driver last year for Team Sydney, although didn’t get a seat this season, but his experience should be invaluable this weekend.

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“I’ve been a primary driver in the two full-time seasons I’ve done, in 2016 and last year,” Pither said.

“The fact that I was full-time last year meant that I did plenty of miles and there’s no substitute in Supercars for seat time and I think that puts me in good stead going into the race.

Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Macauley Jones hasn't had a great year, but his co-driver Chris Pither is optimistic about Sunday's Bathurst 1000.

“I feel confident in that respect and it’s a track that BJR are normally quite strong at and I did Bathurst with the team in 2013 and 2014, so I have a lot of mates here and it feels like home.”

All co-drivers must do at least 54 of the 161 laps around the Mt Panorama circuit and there are two schools of thought about how they should get through them.

One is to just get the car round the track safely as there’s nothing more infuriating for a team boss than having his part-time driver put the car into a wall, which Pither did in Thursday’s practice session. The other is to go for it.

If the co-driver can advance the car up the field during the middle stages of the race it can be the difference between standing on a podium or not at the end of it.

This will be Pither’s 12th Bathurst 1000, so he knows his way around the track and he’s had two top 10 finishes, with his best result coming fourth with Dale Wood in 2017.

“The last few years have been pretty good,” he said.

Obviously it was a good achievement with Dale, but to finish one place off the podium was bitter-sweet.

“I was happy with that result, but I was aiming to be on the podium and obviously the top step.

“It was a nice result, but I want to aim higher this year. We’ll have a work cut out, but we’ll give it a red-hot crack and it’s the kind of race where anything can happen. There are a lot of variables, but if you’re in it at the end, you can feature for a result.”

Pither and Jones are far from favourites on Sunday. Jones hasn’t finished in the top 10 in any races this season and of all the main game drivers, there’s only Coulthard lower than him in the standings.

But the beauty of Bathurst is that anything can happen. In 2014 Chaz Mostert won the race from starting last on the grid.

“There are so many variables that can impact the result,” Pither said.

“Anything can happen and it’s the complete opposite to the sprint races.

“We’ve seen guys win it from the back before and the weather forecast is that it could be wet.

“As soon as it rains, you throw different strategies out the window.”

Pither hasn’t given up on returning as a full-time Supercars driver next year. There are still a few seats available and he has in his favour sponsorship support from Coca-Cola.

“I’m still working hard on it,” he said.

“There was only one opportunity this year to stay in full-time and it wasn’t the right one for me.

“That led to Coca-Cola and myself taking a different approach and connecting with BJR.

“With that, it meant I had to take just there enduro drive for this season, but with a view to get in full-time again next year.

“That’s what we’ve been working towards, but we haven’t been able to secure the right option.

“At this point, I don’t have anything locked away, but there are still a few things up in the air.”

AT A GLANCE

BATHURST 1000 FACT BOX

Start time: 2.15pm (NZ time)

Laps: 161

Lap distance: 6.213km

Race lap record: 2:04.7602s (Chaz Mostert, Lap 155, 2019, Tickford Racing, Ford Mustang GT)