Phillip Island: Tasman Motorsport Friday report

Richards up front in Phillip Island practice

Tasman Motorsport's Jason Richards has made a strong start to the final round of the V8 Supercar Series at the picturesque Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

In opening practice for this weekend's final round of the championship, the Kiwi clocked the eighth fastest time in the #3 Superservice Menus Commodore, after spending the majority of the first hour on top of the timesheets.

While other drivers improved on their times to bump the former Bathurst runner-up back down the order, it is a strong start for the weekend.

With perfect conditions at the sweeping 4.45-kilometre circuit, his team-mate Andrew Jones struggled. The #23 Commodore was 26th fastest in the 31 car field.

QUOTEBOOK

Jason Richards (#3 Superservice Menus/Tasman Motorsport Commodore VZ)
"It's a really good start to the weekend to have speed straight out of the box first up. We haven't had it for the last few race meetings so it's nice to re-discover it! Our car was inside the top 10 for all of the session and actually sat on top of the timesheets during the first hour. In the second part of the practice I was on a better lap but overshot at the turn four hairpin and that was it."

Andrew Jones (#23 Superservice Menus/Tasman Motorsport Commodore VZ)
"We have plenty of work to do, no doubt. But being a lap track and because of its nature, the gaps actually are bigger than you would have on other tracks. It's a long weekend and it's encouraging the sort of speed that Jason has got out of his car for the team on the whole."

-credit: tasman motorsport