10/10/2007
NEWS STORY
New Zealand A1GP driver Jonny Reid expects Black Beauty to explode into life at this weekend's second round of the World Cup of Motorsport in the Czech Republic.
The team is 9th out of 22 nations after a challenging first round in the Netherlands, but Reid enjoys the 5.4km Brno circuit and is targeting a hefty points haul.
"It's definitely a place I want to be off the front looking for maximum points," Reid said. "We had a team meeting yesterday and we agreed we need to pull something out of the bag this weekend. Everyone knows what to do and we are all positive given the pole we achieved last year, so we know we can do it."
Last year Reid scorched to an A1GP first – setting the fastest time in all four qualifying segments. But New Zealand's first-ever pole position was squandered when Reid and German counterpart Nico Hülkenberg collided at the first corner and bowed out of the Sprint Race. Relegated to 14th on the grid for the Feature Race, Reid did well to finish 7th and pick up four championship points.
"This is a new year and we're not thinking about unfinished business. We're confident given our success in qualifying last year, but we can't get ahead of ourselves. We have to concentrate on each step, starting with the practice sessions and then re-focusing for qualifying. It's only then that we can turn our full attention to race day."
By that stage Reid will be reacquainted with the 14 corners of a circuit he first encountered in 2004 when racing in a Formula 3000 car.
"The track is fantastic, with lots of elevation and enough width to encourage real jockeying for position and great racing," he said. "The car gets to come alive because the corners are so fast and conducive to passing. It's simply a brilliant place to drive."
Reid is conscious that the top three places in A1GP after Round One are filled by three of the four semi-finalists at the Rugby World Cup. South Africa tops the table, followed by Great Britain (England in disguise) and France.
"We're all stunned and feeling down over the All Blacks' result," Reid said. "But the rugby has left me feeling hugely motivated to do well this weekend. I'm keen to nail the chance to bring some cheer to a few Kiwis."
The second round in Brno starts in the early hours of Saturday morning NZ time with the first of two official practices. Qualifying takes place in the wee hours of Sunday morning and the two points-scoring races – the 20 minute Sprint Race and the 70 minute Feature Race – will be run on Monday morning.