Motorsport: Farrier making good fist of debut season

Nick Farrier in his Mount Shop Ford Falcon at Ruapuna. Photo / Supplied

Three rounds into his first full season of the BNT NZ Touring Car Championship, Pukekohe driver Nick Farrier is pleased with his progress so far, having already notched up a handful of podium race finishes in class two of the championship.

"I'm really pleased with how quickly I've come to grips with the Mount Shop Ford. Being out of the seat for a couple of years didn't help, but every round we're just setting ourselves modest goals and one by one we're ticking them off," says Farrier.

Farrier currently sits fifth in the class two championship on 323 points, just 65 points behind Chelsea Herbert in fourth, and a 85 points behind Jamie Conroy who sits in third.

With limited experience on many of the tracks the championship visits, Farrier says finishing every race is key.

"We're just trying to finish as many races as possible ensuring I take away as much information on these new tracks ready to have an assault on the championship next season. As well as gaining knowledge by finishing every race, it certainly helps with your championship too, points are important."

"Grabbing a couple of podiums has been really great and being able to repay the faith shown in me by my sponsors and supporters. Certainly without having a major sponsor like Mount Shop and the backing from other businesses, racing wouldn't be possible especially being able to come to the South Island tracks which is an expensive exercise."

Farriers Mount Shop Ford Falcon was built by PSR West Racing in 2006, and has winning pedigree having been raced by Craig Baird winning the championship in 2010 and is one of the many cars eligible to compete in class two, Farrier saying the camaraderie in the class has been fantastic.

"Class two is great, whether you're young or old when the helmets are on we mean business but after the races we can have a joke or two and everyone's always keen to pitch in when something is wrong to get you back out there."

Farrier recorded a third placing in the opening race of the weekend at Ruapuna, followed by two disappointing DNF's, but despite that is excited to get to Teretonga next weekend, another circuit he hasn't raced at.

"The weekend at Ruapuna started well but ended with disappointment. Onwards and upwards! Looking ahead to Teretonga next weekend, I've never even set foot in the joint so it will be a weekend of maximum learning for me."