Since his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship back in 2011, Steven Richards has been supported by Laser Plumbing & Electrical, the partnership enduring the highs and lows of the sport across six seasons, culminating in the 2014 drivers championship title. For 2016 the relationship continues, with Steven Richards Motorsport unveiling their 2016 title challenger, a subtle design change on what had been a race winning design last season.

“Wow, is it really that long, it feels like just yesterday we kicked off at Albert Park with our maiden season together,” Richards admitted.

“Our partnership with Laser Plumbing & and Electrical now goes much deeper than branding on the car, the many dealers and their staff around Australia have become close friends, and some are like family, because like us, they’re very much involved ‘hands-on’ in the operation of the company.

“We’ve had a successful relationship too, with 13 race wins, and 53 podiums (including wins) across the last five seasons, a pattern I’m hoping to continue this year, although with the influx of former V8 Supercar drivers, and some sharp young guys coming through the ranks, I think it’s going to be tougher than ever this season!”

As it has the last four seasons, the 2016 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia [PCCA] program will kick off with the demanding Clipsal 500 event, a race Richards knows only too well, the reigning Bathurst 1000 winner looking to emulate his results from 12-months ago.

“We had a great start to the 2015 season at Clipsal, we started on the front row and claimed three wins on the Adelaide Parklands Circuit, so things couldn’t have been any better, but whilst the SRM/Laser Racing team nailed the setup of the car perfectly last year, I’m not sure we’ll catch too many teams napping this year.

“There will also be plenty of pressure to ensure the car completes all three races, because with the Melbourne Grand Prix just two weeks later for the second round of the championship, we can’t afford to suffer any setbacks – it will certainly be a challenging weekend.”

Whilst the opening round of the 2016 season gives fans a chance to take in the new livery on the Laser Plumbing & Electrical supported Type 991 Porsche Cup Car, it also gives SRM a chance to unveil some new partners for the coming season.

“I thought our livery the last few seasons was perfect, it certainly stood out and was easy to see anywhere on the circuit, so the changes to the design are only subtle,” Richards admitted. “However there are some changes to our partners, as we’re proud to welcome Price Pressure and DAF Trucks to the team to join our long-standing partners Laser Plumbing & Electrical, Shannons Insurance, BP Ultimate Diesel and Mosley Mining.

“Price Pressure will also feature on James Bergmuller’s TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge class car, whilst DAF is an iconic brands that we’re proud to be partnered with for both our PCCA and Australian GT programs this year.

“I’m really looking forward to the season ahead, but under no illusions it’s going to be easy, not with the big influx of new Pro drivers into the championship, but it’s going to be an interesting year, especially with the additional challenge of competing against the Carrera Cup Asia drivers in Sydney in August, that will present a real battle royale over just who has the dominant series in the Asia Pacific region.

“For now though the focus is 100% on Clipsal, where we will not only get a chance to kick off the season, but spend some time with our supporters and our fans at one of the best events of the year.”