JAMES Golding will not settle for second in PremiAir Racing’s Repco Bathurst 1000 debut this Sunday.
The #31 Subway Holden driver has progressed impressively since replacing Garry Jacobson ahead of the Townsville 500 in July to now establish himself as a regular top 10 contender.
To be anywhere near – or on – the Great Race podium would seem a sensational outcome, but Golding is fixated on glory.
“Come Sunday afternoon, getting up on that balcony is what I am aiming for, and I am not aiming for third just to get up there,” he said.
“I am going to be fighting for it and I won’t be holding back.
“Put it this way – if I have to risk second or third to go for the win, I will be risking it.”
Golding will have TCR and Carrera Cup driver Dylan O’Keeffe as his co-driver.
“We are feeling pretty good right now. We got through everything we set out to do in the pre-event test last week, we got Dylan in the car, and he did a great job,” Golding continued.
“We ran through all the pit stop stuff you don’t normally do at the other races, and got all of those things consistent and ironed out the little niggly issues that could potentially catch us out.
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“The main things are all ticked off and there are only very minor items we have to do when we get there – basically we will polish the cars up and off we go.
“Dylan has raced Super2 at Bathurst and done two 1000s, so he is quite familiar with the process but it doesn’t matter who you are or how many times you have done the race, you practice and practice and we have been doing that and will continue doing that all through the week to make sure all the pit stop stuff can be done on auto pilot and we can focus on having a fast car, a winning strategy and all of that.
“Coming into qualifying, with it being such a long race it is a bit different but to get into the Top 10 Shootout would be really great. And then come Sunday, there will be no holding back.”
The sister PremiAir car of Chris Pither/Cameron Hill will carry a throwback Coca-Cola livery.
“No matter what way you look at it, the Bathurst 1000 is something else. It is truly unique, unpredictable and is never short on drama,” Pither said.
“Having previously finished fourth in the Bathurst 1000, only one place off the podium, I head there with the aim to improve on my PB.
“It goes without saying that to secure a win at Bathurst would be monumental for the entire team, Cam, myself, and Coca-Cola.
“The livery we are running this weekend is a tribute to the 1995 podium-getting car – here’s hoping this look can race through to another podium some 17 years later!
“I am very happy with how the car looks. It’s created a lot of excitement and support from fans, which is cool, and I can’t wait to see what we can do while flying these colours at the Great Race.”
