Steven Richards will therefore run with a new competition number in 2006 – number seven – a reference to the No. 7 brand of Jack Daniels. Richards is one of the most consistent drivers in the series, with a cool approach to racing complementing his natural talent. However for some years now, the Perkins’ Commodores haven’t been able to match their Holden counterparts and have therefore failed to challenge for the championship as the end of a series. Richards has the ability to win – but he really needs top-notch equipment to do so.
Paul Dumbrell must surely be on his last legs at Moorabbin. Perkins has given the 2002 Fujitsu Series champion three years to prove himself on equal footing with Richards and has been soundly beaten. Unnecessary collisions and crashes have hurt Dumbrell’s credibility as a driver on occasion, but if he wants to make it in V8 Supercars, he must surely need to make amends on his lowly championship finishes. A solid finish to 2005 may be an indicator of a better year for Paul though.
Final Word
Richards: Still one of the best – top five will be a good performance.
Dumbrell: On the improve, but must fare better in 2006.
WPS Racing
Max Wilson (#8 BF Falcon), Jason Bargwanna (#10 BF Falcon)
Craig Gore’s inaugural race team hasn’t impressed during its first two years of competition. The merger with Larkham Motorsport may elevate the team up the order, and Cosworth engines may also be of benefit, but the real deciding factor will relate to machinery and not necessarily driving talent.
Jason Bargwanna has joined WPS with Mark Larkham from Orrcon Racing. He is one of the field’s most underrated pilots and had an unsuccessful 2005 due to a poor race package. Whether he can elevate WPS Racing from also-rans to consistent top ten runners remains to be seen – that will depend on the influence from the team’s technical heads.
