Current V8 Ute Champion Chris Pither will return to the Ice Break Team for this weekends Round 6 of the Auto One V8 Ute Seriesprotected by Armor All.
Pither will drive the 2011 championship winning Holden, in his first V8 Ute drive since the Clipsal 500 this year.
I love this track, having lived on the Gold Coast for over 5 years; it will be great to race in front of family, friends and our many supporters who will be here this weekend, Pither said. Its about time we served one back to the Fords who dominated the recent round at Bathurst, and hopefully I can be part of a resurgent Holden attack to help regain the series lead for Nathan Pretty.
The 25 year old finished 14th during the recent 50th running of the Great Race at Mt Panorama, driving the Wilson Security V8 Supercar for Brad Jones Racing. He also recently shared a drive with Craig Baird in the NZ Super Tourer Endurance race and is busy dividing his race miles between Australia and New Zealand.
He finished 2nd to Ryal Harris during last years Gold Coast event, and won the round in 2010. Pither and Harris went on to tough out the series right to the final round at Homebush, before Pither claimed the overall 2011 win, adding to his 2 New Zealand V8 Ute Championship titles.
This year, we elected to give some younger drivers an opportunity through the Ice Break Racing/Chris Pither Scholarship, so I stepped out of the ute to concentrate on the V8 Supercar Enduro drives. One of our V8 Ute scholarship drivers, Gold Coast based Jesse Dixon, went on to win the Shannons Supercar Showdown, finishing the recent Bathurst 1000 in 20th place, a fantastic effort - and one of which I am also very proud, Pither explained.
Harris copped a penalty last year for touching up Pither during the final turn onto the main straight in Race 2, the two talented racers looking forward to resuming their long standing feud this weekend.
Sydneys Jack Elsegood will also return this weekend, with backing from Hustler Lawn Mowers. The front running Ford driver, nicknamed The Hustler, adds to a cracking driver line up which includes former Marcos Ambrose development driver George Miedecke in the Auto One Wildcard ute, Cameron McConville, Monster Racings Nathan Pretty, Bathurst lap record holder David Sieders, Jesus Racings Andrew Fisher, Perths Rhys McNally, Adelaides Craig Dontas, Brisbanes Ryan Hansford and Kris Walton and veteran Holden driver Gary Baxter.
Amber Anderson and Hayley Swanson will also look to improve on their Bathurst performances.
With only 13 points separating Nathan Pretty from series leader Ryal Harris, this weekends 3 V8 Ute races on the Gold Coast are set to be the Ultimate StreetShowdown, and a real test of the survival of the fittest.
