Chris Pither confirmed at Super Black

Chris Pither to take over Super Black Racing Falcon for 2016 V8 Supercar championship

The game of Kiwi musical chairs has finally been won at Super Black Racing (SBR) for one of the final vacant seats left on the V8 Supercar grid for the 2016 championship, with Chris Pither confirmed today as the team's selection. 

"I'm really excited to have the chance to work with them and hopefully we can get some good results. [...] It's great to step up from the Dunlop Series into the main game but the level of competition is completely different," said Pither.

Pither was trialed in the car at last weekend's Phillip Island round of the championship, leaving regular driver and series rookie André Heimgartner on the bench for the event. The former V8 ute champion was able to crack the top 20 on several occasions, despite having not visited the Phillip Island circuit since 2008. 

"It's been an interesting week to say the least. I'd just like to say thanks to Super Black for the year so far, and everyone for their support. I look forward to getting back into the car at Homebush, until then ill be training and working as hard as ever to finish the year off strongly," said Heimgartner when the news was released.

"[Pither] did a great job at Phillip Island. He's got a good knowledge of cars and setup and worked really well with the team," said team owner Tony Lentino.

"We're excited to have him on board for next year and see how he develops as the year goes on. He has a wealth of experience so we're excited to see where it goes. We have high hopes."

Super Black Racing will be hoping that the experience Pither brings can push the team forwards. Photo / Velocity NZ

It's been a mixed debut season for the new squad, with both the car and Heimgartner frequently showing pace, but often unable to convert this into tangible results. They currently sit 23rd on the points table.

Heimgartner may still find his way onto the grid, with the driver recently linked to the third and final seat at Brad Jones Racing — vacated by the Nissan-bound Dale Wood.