Kiwis: Super Black Racing's Ford Falcon FG X in action this season. Photo / Getty Images
Kiwis: Super Black Racing's Ford Falcon FG X in action this season. Photo / Getty Images
Despite a good showing last year, Bay of Plenty driver Ant Pedersen knows there are no guarantees at Bathurst 1000.
Pedersen will team up with fellow Kiwi driver Andre Heimgartner and the Super Black Racing team to contest Bathurst on Sunday.
The two exceeded expectations last year when they finished 11th at Mt Panorama. Pedersen said a lot of people were talking about another top finish for Super Black Racing but they weren't getting ahead of themselves.
"I keep saying to them we have to ignore last year. I mean so much can happen at Bathurst ... you can get taken out by a kangaroo."
He said their main goal on Sunday was finishing the race - the rest should fall into place.
"If we finish the race we should be somewhere in the top 15," he said. "If our focus is finishing and getting to the last 20 or 30 laps on the lead lap, you give yourself a good shot at finishing in a good position.
"So those first 130-140 laps are about not doing silly things and staying on the lead lap, then you can really have a crack - but you have to get there first."
Pedersen has been racing the Dunlop Series in Australia this season which is one division below the V8 Supercars Championship. He is currently in seventh position on the standings and has a big weekend ahead - racing the Dunlop Series event tomorrow at Bathurst followed by the V8 Supercars Championship event on Sunday.
He said his season had included some frustrating results but he was really looking forward to Bathurst.
"It's been a frustrating year. We started off pretty strong sitting at third in the Dunlop Series but since round two we have suffered a bit of a speed loss with the car. So we fell back a bit but we managed to find a bit more speed in the last few rounds," he said.
Last month Pedersen joined Heimgartner and Super Black Racing to race the first endurance event of the V8 Supercars Championship, the Sandown 500.
"We finished 17th after starting last in 25th and we slogged away for the day without much reward really," Pedersen said.
"But our car speed was good, within a 10th and 12th finish I thought ... but starting right at the back obviously we were on the back foot."
He said despite finishing 17th it was invaluable time behind the wheel of the Ford Falcon, the same vehicle he'll be racing on Sunday. "Bigger picture we are obviously super pumped for Bathurst so it was a good round for us to get some miles under our belt."
Pedersen is originally from Rotorua and lives in Hamilton where he works fulltime as an accountant.
He said his family and a few friends would be heading over to Bathurst with him for the big event.
