NATIONAL Sports Sedans great Tony Ricciardello has confirmed a new car is in the pipeline to succeed his all-conquering Alfa Romeo.
Ricciardello will be back the wheel of his Alfa this weekend to end a three-year racing hiatus as he lines up in the 2023 Sports Sedans season-opener at Winton.
But there is a new weapon being chipped away at, bit by bit, in the background for future deployment.
“We’re always looking at doing and developing things,” the 44-year-old told V8 Sleuth when asked about rumours of a Ricciardello Ferrari.
“It’s pretty difficult for guys like us, we’re obviously busy with work and any guys in Sports Sedans, it’s an expensive hobby. It’s not a professional team running it so making time, life is pretty busy on its own.
“So trying to maintain the Alfa and build another one, you have got to commit pretty highly.
“Even though we haven’t raced, there’s a lot of things happening in the background with the new car and it’s always progressing.
“People carry on, why is taking so long, but a lot of these people have never built a Sports Sedan before; everything is a one-off thing, nothing is off the shelf. If something is doing well like the Alfa and it’s still at the pointy end, why do we need to bring a new car on?”
Ricciardello though put beyond doubt that the project is going ahead.
“We are doing it, we are building something in the background, but it’s just trying to fit it into general life, it’s pretty busy,” he said.
“And when you get older like me, things don’t happen as quick as they used to. There’s always things happening in the background, we have just got to try to find time to progress with it.”
Pressed for further details about the in-build car, Ricciardello was tight-lipped.
“It will be a red Sports Sedan and it will be quick,” he chuckled.
There are five rounds on the 2023 National Sports Sedans calendar: Winton, Queensland Raceway, Sydney Motorsport Park, Bathurst and Gold Coast.