ERIC RICHARDSON TO MAKE SOUTHWEST SERIES DEBUT WITH GARY COLLINS MOTORSPORTS

Source: Grayson
Date: 01/19/2006

BAKERSFIELD, California -- There are many components in modern day stock racing to challenge those who choose to participate in the sport. There is that overall sense of compeition that makes someone want to be the fastest on the track. There is that powerful gut feeling that makes a driver want to go just a little bit deeper into a corner to pass the car ahead of him. There is innovative thinking from crew chiefs who are constantly coming up with new concepts to gain an extra tick on a stop watch both on the track and on pit road. When these components turn into a successful season all involved cast their eyes to the racing horizion to see what else is there. They want to know how they can use everything they've learned and take it to the next level.

This certainly applies to Bakersfield, California's Eric Richardson who, after a phenominal 2005 racing season, is going to the next level in 2006. Richardson will be making his official debut in NASCAR's Autozone Elite Divison Southwest Series, Janauary 22nd, at the Phoenix Internatinal Raceway. Richardson will be making that debut with some very impressive racing company. Reknowned race car fabricator, and former driver, Gary Collins will be spearheading the operation along with NASCAR Northwest Series driver Travis Bennett who has signed on as the team's car chief.

Gary Collins Motorsports and Eric Richardson plan to run the entire 2006 Southwest Series season and are looking at a few dates in the Northwest Series as well. Collins is well known as one of the premier car builders in the country. Included in his resume is the fabrication of a racing truck, that met the approval of NASCAR officials, that eventually led to the creation of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Commenting on the new racing colloboration, Collins said " we weren't actually going to go to Phoenix this year but, with NASCAR's recent decision to make this season the final year for the Southwest Series, we figured now was the time. Because of that decision, and the timetable change, our new car for the season actually wasn't ready yet so we're using a car owned by Bob Cozaro for the Phoenix race."

The team attended a Southwest Series practice session at Phoenix, on January 9th, and Collins definitely like what he saw and added "he did exactly what I expected him to do. He wasn't the fastest thing out there at the first of the test and I told him just to work on your racing line and rhythm because you have to have a lot of respect for Phoenix. I told him just to take your time, we have all day, work up to it. He did just that: he worked up to it, we kept tinkering with the car a little bit, he kept working on his line and when to get on the gas sooner and by the end of the day he ran some really good times. We were really impressed with him and it was a good day.: One report from the test said that Eric ran a lap of 28.57 seconds which is most impressive for someone driving a diversely different car on a one mile track he's never seen before.

The team will campaign the #21 Collins Motorsports Chevrolet this season. Collins is equally excited about the presence of his car chief, Travis Bennett, and noted that his presence and input during the Phoenix test was huge. "Eric and Travis are great friends who have a lot of respect for each other and that makes things easier. That takes a huge load off of me. Travis is a racer and has done a lot of impressive things in the northwest. That means I don't have to be on top of the car every minute. I can focus on other things like, in the case of Phoenix, coaching Eric through the corners while knowing that Travis is taking care of the car and the crew. He's a great addition to our program," Collins added.

Collins is clearly excited about the new racing prospect and said "what I really like about it is we have a game plan. We have money in place, a great car and program in place and a great crew. All of my guys are here and they've willing to get after it. With Eric driving we've got a great game plan. I think he's going to do good and I think he's got a great shot at the series' Rookie of the Year. "

Eric Richardson, and Rich Pak Motorsports, had a banner year in 2005 while competing at Bakersfield's Mesa Marin Raceway. Surrounded by some very intense competition, he scored five feature wins and 15 top fives and then breezed his way through the raceway's five event Chase For The Championship series to win their NASCAR Late Model title. He also ranked sixth in the NASCAR Division Two national standings. He also made his debut in the NASCAR Super Late Model Series last year and, by his third outing, scored his first top five finish.

You could literally hear the enthusiam in his voice when Richardson talked about the upcoming 2006 racing season. "I'm so excited," he said adding "we didn't know we were going to do this until about three weeks ago. We were able to get together with Bob Cozaro and Gary Collins Motorsports to put it all together for Phoenix."

Commenting on his first look at Phoenix, during the January 9th test, Richardson said "I definitely knew it was going to take a little time to get up to speed. Everything was different: a different car and a different track. I took things slow at first to get a feel for the track and the car. I also got a feel for the wall during the test but I learned my limits from that. Towards the end of the day we started getting faster. We had a great test and we're really excited about the upcoming race."

He also expects to learn a lot about the rigors of regional touring racing and has a very healthy respect for the level of competition he will be seeing this year. "I'll be racing against track champions who have all gathered together in one series. It's a whole different level of drivers and cars. Driving the Super Late Model car last year was a big help to me. It was a huge stepping stone to getting into the Southwest Series. There are some incredible drivers in this series like Jim Pettit, Auggie Vidovich, Dan Holtz and M K Kanke. These are the guys that I watched growing up and they're role models to me,"Richardson said.

His debut into the NASCAR Southwest Series is just a part of Richardson's large 2006 racing plans. The team will be running approximately ten races in the NASCAR Super Late Model Series, at the Irwindale Speedway, in the #98 Chevrolet owned by Bob Cozaro. The familiar bright red #40 Rich Pak Motorsports NASCAR Late Model Chevrolet owned by Eric's Dad, Garry Richardson, will also see plenty of action this year at Irwindale.

Commenting on his very busy 2006, Richardson said "the more racing the better, I really enjoy it. I now have the opportunity to race somewhere every weekend and we're going to try to take that to a whole new level. Getting into the driver's seat, no matter what series it is, will definitely help."

Throughout this 2006 season keep a sharp eye on the #21 NASCAR Southwest Series car, the #98 Super Late Model car and the #40 Late Model Chevrolet. You're going to be seeing and hearing a lot from Eric Richardson, and Gary Collins Motorsports, this year.

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