Pither hunting answers to drive progress

For Team Sydney driver Chris Pither, the aim for his team’s second straight home event is clear: Simply make progress.

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It was a tough return to racing for the #22 Coca-Cola Commodore last month at Sydney Motorsport Park, never quite managing to nail an optimal set-up window.

The result was a struggle for car balance, which in turn exaggerated tyre degradation at a circuit already renowned for wearing out rubber.

Pither was honest in his assessment but philosophical about the way forward.

“We’ve got lots of stuff we can improve with overall and that’s the challenges of a new team,” he told Supercars.com.

“There’s guys that have only had a round now, and everyone is trying to learn how each other is working, drivers are getting to know engineers. It’s going to take us some time to gel.

“The main thing is, and the main focus is, that we improve for each event and if we do that, then it’s not a drama where you start, as long as we’re moving forward.”

With himself, engineer Nathan Leech and teammate Alex Davison each possessing diverse experience, he’s hopeful that progress can be made upon returning to Eastern Creek next weekend.

“I guess the good thing is you have got a direct gauge going back to the same circuit,” said the 2018 Dunlop Super2 Series winner.

“If we learn something from it and we improve, then it’s not a drama but that’s really key now, that we do focus and really dig deep and try to work out where we lacked and how we’re going to change for the next event and ideally move forward.”

A potential help to the 33-year-old’s cause will be the presence of another rookie-only practice session to kickstart the Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint schedule.

Although Pither first drove a Supercar at Bahrain in 2006, he qualifies as a rookie having only competed in one prior full-time season – for Super Black Racing in ’16.

“It’s great to get that additional practice session in,” he added.

“It does definitely put you in a better position moving into the weekend. The seat time overall is so limited; to get that extra session does make a big difference.”

Ordinarily based in Melbourne, Pither stayed on in Sydney following the last event, allowing him to avoid the Monday scramble to make it across the border.