Jacuzzi Spas Australian Production Cars’ veteran Bob Pearson says will be driving for the thrill and enjoyment of the sport when he competes at Winton.
Returning to the Nationals after sitting out of the last round at Queensland Raceway, Pearson will be alongside trusty co-driver Rick Bates as the pair attempt to win their first round of the year.
After finishing outright second it last year’s series, despite leading the whole year, Pearson has since only competed at Sandown this year, in which he finished on the podium.
Only losing due to not attending the final round at Wakefield, the unfazed 71-year-old was adamant that there is more to their driving that just winning trophies.
“I have been racing for about 55 years but I don’t race for the recognition, “ Pearson said.
“I race for the sheer enjoyment of it all and more so, I have a crew that has been with me for 25 years and more and I do it for their enjoyment.
“We don’t go for championships, so Winton will be just another race meeting for us.
“We only compete because we are addicted to racing and like to have fun.”
With his relaxed attitude, Pearson is sure to attract a lot of attention when he and Bates get behind the wheel of their EVO 10 RS, a car they thought was done at the end of last year.
The PRO-DUCT Motorsport team had purchased two new Porsches in the off-season with the hopes of bringing them out for Sandown’s recent round of the Shannons.
However due to electrical issues, the new cars were put on the sidelines and the Evos recalled for another season.
“We were not prepared to race the Evos this year so racing them at Sandown was a last minute decision,” Pearson explained.
“They had old engines, old gear boxes, old everything.
“They both required a total rebuild following Sandown because we did not replace anything on them last year thinking they were done.
“We were hoping to have our Porsches going by Winton but we have run into electronic difficulties which we can’t solve.
“We had to get more parts from Germany and unfortunately it hasn’t arrived in time so I guess it’s back to the old walruses again.”
Despite driving the old cars, Pearson still believes they are good enough to win races Winton, especially with the experience that all the drivers have.
“I still think I have a lap record from about 20 years ago,” Pearson joked.
“I have been around for a while. In fact when I started racing, Winton just was a tiny track.”
“I suppose experience helps when you get older, but having great drivers like Bates and Glen Seton keeps the motivation strong.”
The Shannons Nationals at Winton Motor Raceway will take place on 1-2 September with live coverage of Sunday’s sessions available live and free at speedseries.com.au.
An extensive library of races from 2018 is also available on-demand on the TV tab of speedseries.com.au.
