Everyone remembers their first of anything, whatever that may be.
For Sam Cotterill, one of the latest additions to the 2022 New Zealand Toyota 86 championship, it’s a little bit harder to remember his first motor race.
That’s because he hasn’t done one before.
Like ever.
Now he’s preparing to jump into one of the country’s most competitive one-make series.
“Last year after doing nothing I decided why not have some fun,” Cotterill said.
“I had some tests at Hamptons in an 86 and a Porsche road car. I was shitting myself for the first couple of laps and was just thinking, ‘Wow, I’m actually driving a race car.’
“But I got the bug and loved it.”
Cotterill has also had some test days at Pukekohe and Taupo. But he says it’s “always good to have more and more seat time.”
Nonetheless, come the middle of January, at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cotterill will make his race debut.
He says he’s keeping his ambitions realistic for the first few rounds as he adapts to everything new.
“The goal is to learn as much as I can in every session.”
Cotterill jokes that his best shot at a win this season will either result from a carnage, weather-impacted race, or if he discovers some cheeky on-track shortcuts.
“I’m anticipating a steep learning curve [this season]. Hope for the best and plan for the worst. But I am going to give it a good crack.”
While Cotterill is new to racing, he always has been interested in the sport.
His father raced Porsches with International Motorsport in the early 2000s, the same team the junior Cotterill is with this coming 86 championship.
But if you have always had a big passion, why wait until you’re 27 before hitting the track competitively?
“I grew up in Tauranga, so I was busy with other things, you know, living close to the beach. There were also time restraints, and if you didn’t do it, you just never did it.”
Now he’s here, Cotterill says he’d like to stay around for a bit more than one year.
“I’ll take the first one as I came, and if I enjoy it, I can’t see why not [do more seasons].
“It’ll be some good racing this year. Can’t wait.”