Motorsport: Veteran finds new car a struggle

Steven Richards finds himself languishing in unfamiliar territory in 16th place. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Australian V8 Supercar driver Steven Richards has not had the best of seasons.

He and his Ford Performance Racing teammate Mark Winterbottom are struggling with the new FG Falcons and Richards is languishing in unfamiliar territory in 16th place.

However, heading to Sandown next weekend, Richards will enter his 161st V8 race, making him the Kiwi with the most race starts and eighth on the all-time list.

John Bowe tops the table with 225 Australian Touring Car Championships and V8 Supercar starts in a career that spanned 21 years.

"The year's been more down than up to be honest. We've struggled a bit adapting to the new FG," said Richards.

"There's been a few other bits and pieces and we've struggled with qualifying and there's been dramas during the races as well. Quite a few factors really.

"You don't have to change much in this sport as it's all really competitive and all of a sudden you can find yourself a little bit behind the eight ball. But from all sides it hasn't been up to scratch and we're all working incredibly hard to turn it around."

It's not all doom and gloom, though, the team have been on the podium a couple of times and Winterbottom does sit seventh in the championship at the halfway stage.

The endurance rounds at Sandown and Bathurst are fast approaching and there are plenty of points up for grabs at those two races.

"There's definitely light at the end of the tunnel and we've got some good stuff coming through.

"We've identified the key areas that need improvement and we're fixing them," said Richards.

As for the number of starts, Richards said it came as a bit of a surprise to find he's the top Kiwi.

"You just tick along in the series and go from race meeting to race meeting and you don't really think about that [number of starts]," said Richards.

"I started in 1996 and have done every race meet, but for a couple in 1998 when I went to the UK to fill the British Touring Car Championship testing role for Nissan. I came back in 1999 and started again."

Richards has been with Gary Rodgers Motorsport, Stone Brothers Racing for Bathurst, Gibson Motorsport, Ford Tickford Racing, Jack Daniels Racing and since 2007 FPR.

He has tasted success at Bathurst, had race and round wins and is a former Australian Formula Ford champion.

Not only has Richards' season been a rocky road, fellow Kiwi and Bathurst great Greg Murphy (with whom he won Bathurst in 1999) is making heavy weather of the 2009 season as well.

It has even got to the stage that Murphy has been having a pop at Richards over an incident during the Tasmanian race in May.

Murphy was comfortably in fourth place in race two when Richards speared into him at the hairpin, putting paid to the race for both of them.

Murphy refused to acknowledge Richards' excuse that he had brake fade and accused him of unprofessionalism.

The two were supposed to go mountain riding after the Tasmanian event but Murphy failed to turn up.

"We all get disappointed with bad results and Murph is just Murph. He wears his heart on his sleeve," said Richards.

"But it was discussed we should leave his bike in Tasmania but it made the trailer at the last minute. He's already picked it up so it's no big deal."

STEVEN RICHARDS

* Sandown will be Richards' 161th start in V8 Supercars.
* He won Bathurst in 1998 with Jason Bright in a Ford and again in 1999 with Greg Murphy in a Holden. He is the only driver to have won back-to-back Bathurst titles in the two marques.
* 23 round podiums.
* 49 race podiums.