Accountant figures it all out

"Chaotic and cool." That's the way Rotorua driver Ant Pedersen describes his podium finish in the inaugural V8 Supertourers series.

Pedersen managed to win the feature race at Hampton Downs at the weekend. But despite the win it still meant turning up to work yesterday in Hamilton where he is an accountant.

The 23-year-old, formerly from Rotorua, is part of the New Zealand team International Motorsport. The team also includes former A1GP driver Jonny Reid.

In the first round of seven, Pedersen in his BankLink Falcon V8ST, won the feature race ahead of some big names in New Zealand motor racing such as Greg Murphy and Craig Baird.

The three race programme was dominated by Murphy who won the first and second race on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

But it was Pedersen who stole the show in the feature race, coming through the pack to win.

"In the third race it was chaotic, we ended up winning which was cool ... But the way the weekend had been going until that point, I [would have been] happy with a result in the top four or five and then everyone just went mental.

"They just dropped the ball, lo and behold we had to pass a few cars and we were sitting pretty, so yeah it was cool."

Pedersen said although he was confident leading into the weekend it was still a surprise to win the main race.

"Like they say 'you're confident in your ability and you're confident in yourself that you go out there to win.' But until that third race the weekend hadn't been going the best for us," Pedersen said.

"We certainly had pace, we had speed but in saying that, we had issues with the car [gearbox] through Friday and Saturday as well. Just little teething issues we sort of couldn't put a finger on. Come Sunday those problems had gone."

Pedersen, who took a year off driving to concentrate on his accounting career, rated the weekend's win as a career highlight. "I did no racing last year. All the guys around me, well a majority in that series, they were racing while I was stuck up in an office playing with numbers.

"To do that, first race back in a long time in a seriously competitive series makes it all the more better," Pedersen said.

"I was a podium result my first time in Australia racing [V8 Supercars] and that's pretty special, because you go over there against those guys and they are never going to let a Kiwi do it easy. So that was special but this is pretty sweet."

The series now moves to Christchurch on April 7 and 8 but Pedersen said he was looking forward to Round 5 when the series comes to Taupo.

"I'm confident Rotorua will turn up and the wider Bay of Plenty will turn up. It's a cool product ... I'm hearing everyone is enjoying the racing. It was a good thing to be a part of and to witness for the first time. Hopefully that bodes well for what is to come."

More than 20,000 spectators were at Hampton Downs.