Richo writes: Clipsal 500.

In the first of a regular series of views from Castrol Perkins V8 Supercar racer Steven Richards, the Kiwi looks back at the opening round of the 2003 Championship - the Clipsal 500 on the streets of Adelaide.

''Good morning folks. Apologies for the delay in writing, but here goes....

''It's funny how much things change in twelve months - and not only in the V8 Supercar Championship. Last year, the Clipsal 500 was worth some big points. In many ways, if you kicked the year off well in Adelaide, then you were looking good for a great year, as the points were almost double that of most other rounds. This year, the point structure has changed dramatically. After round one last year, Mark Skaife left Adelaide 100 points clear of second place - or had an almost 30 per cent points lead on second place, effectively setting up his year. This year, in effect, the two 250km races are worth less than the one 300km race at the next round of the championship at Phillip Island. The good thing is that, while, the overall winner from Adelaide was the same, he goes into the next round only only points in the lead of the championship - a mere four per cent advantage.

''As for the Castrol Perkins Motorsport team, it was a great result. A second and an eighth in race two was a terrific result. The Clipsal 500 weekend is manic for us as drivers. We have many commitments over the course of the weekend, but it's all part of the job description. The crowd again was amazing, the event recording 213,000 people over the four days, and, once again, Adelaide provided great weather for us.

''Practice kicked off a little slower than we would have liked, and the car was a little slower in a couple of corners than we would have liked. It is always a little tough when you roll the car out of the truck and it is not quite at the pace you would like but, like at the GP, the Castrol Perkins team swung into action and turned the car into a rocket for qualifying.

''One of the best parts of season 2003 to date is the fact that we have some data to look back over from season 2002. This is the first time for many years that I have had continuity with a team leading into a new year. It is terrific at the moment that, while the team is working very hard building our first VY Commodore, we are still focusing on our two current cars, making them more competitive with each outing.

''Qualifying ended well with car #11 perched in fourth and #8 in 15th. This year, there would only be a top ten shootout for the 500, as opposed to last year which was a top 15 shootout. The lap was okay and we snuck into fifth - a nice place to start race one.

''I must admit the off-season has made my starts a little rusty. The getaway was okay, enough to jump Steve Johnson, but not quite enough to get the next row. Saturday's race turned into a little bit of a procession on the TV but, in the car, it was hard yards. Car #11 was keeping me honest - the handling of the car was okay, but it was a little nervous in the rear, which kept my attention for the whole race. That, along with the lack of safety car appearances, made it really tough. In the end, though, fourth was a great finish to race one.

''After analysing the data from Saturday's race, the Castrol Perkins guys came up with some fixes for Sunday's race - and the results were great. The getaway from the grid on Sunday was much better, almost sneaking up alongside the front row. The car was great, a lot easier to drive and faster. We were able to mix it up with the front group right from the outset. The strategy was great, as were the pit-stops. A late race battle with the Ford of [Marcos] Ambrose was great and, in the end, we came out on top and finished second, one position behind Skaife. My team-mate Paul Dumbrell had a great drive too, finishing seventh after a race long battle with four or five cars - a top result.

''So it is we head to Phillip Island for round two, second and seventh in the championship. A nice start. One thing is for sure - the action will be a fair bit hotter at Phillip Island, with just one 300km race to contend for points.

''Bye for now...''

Richowww.richosworld.com.au