First enduro drivers announced! Faulkner places faith in driving youth
16/3/2000 17:22 (Jason Whittaker) - John Faulkner will put his endurance racing campaign into the hands of two inexperienced young drivers, after today signing up-and-coming talents Adam Macrow and Christian Dagostin to the team's four-man endurance squad.
In a show of faith in Australia's young driving nursery, Faulkner, who just last week signed a lucrative two-year sponsorship deal with emerging IT company Asia Online, announced his enduro team yesterday.
The 47-year-old veteran takes a risk in signing the untried and untested raw talent of Macrow and Dagostin, but says both have the skills to be the future stars of V8 racing.
"I've watched Adam Macrow blaze in Karts, show maturity in winning a Formula Ford Australian Championship, and I couldn't sit back and watch this talented young driver go to another Team," says Faulkner.
"Christian Dagostin has been under my watchful eye for many years also in Karts and more recently Commodore Cup and the GT Production Car category. We tested Christian in our VT early this year and I will say he is another young guy ready for V8 Supercars," he said.
22-year-old Adam Macrow has many fans in high places, among them Alan Jones and Tony Longhurst, who both have given Macrow starts in V8 Supercar endurance events in the past. Macrow's most recent V8 experience came at Bathurst last year, where he helped Longhurst to a good position before retiring from the race.
Little-known Christian Dagostin will make his V8 racing debut with the Faulkner outfit, having raced in the GTP Series and Commodore Cup previously.
Both drivers will get a chance to test their skills at selected V8 rounds throughout the year, sharing driving duties in the team's current Commodore, while Faulkner will pilot a yet-to-be-completed second VT.
While the team hopes to have the new VT on-track at the Adelaide 500, Faulkner has conceded the new car won't make its debut until Round 4 at Eastern Creek.
The newly-named Team Asia Online will then field two cars in the two season-ending endurance events, where Macrow will partner Faulkner and Dagostin will team-up with a yet-to-be-named driver.
"With two young fit drivers on board early in the 2000 Championship it can only enhance my crew's level of enthusiasm and commitment" Faulkner said.
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