Owen and Leahey to join Kmart Racing regulars for V8 Supercar endurance races
14/8/2004 15:12 (Press Release) -
Defending Bathurst champions Kmart Racing have named young guns Steve Owen and Tim Leahey to their squad for the Sandown and Bathurst V8 Supercar races to be run in September and October respectively.
The duo, who both have had plenty of previous V8 Supercar racing since they both made their V8 debut in 1999, will pair up in one of the team’s VY Commodores while regular drivers Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy will share the lead car as they attempt to win back-to-back Bathurst crowns.
Owen, 29, says the chance to join the Kmart team is his best chance of success at Sandown and Bathurst.
“It’s definitely a great team to be joining for the big races and gives Tim and I our best chances of being on the podium and having a strong race result.
“Kmart Racing is one of the best-drilled teams in pit lane and I’m there to do a job for them. I’m a team player and I’m here to do whatever is required of me.”
Owen has been racing in the Australian Formula Ford Championship in a works Spectrum, winning round four of the series at Queensland Raceway and finishing second in last weekend’s round at Winton.
He made a one-off appearance in the Holden Young Lions Commodore at the Winton Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series round, qualifying on the front row of the grid in his only V8 Supercar start of the season to date.
He has five Bathurst starts to his name, with a ninth place in 1999 his best result.
Leahey, 28, also has five Bathurst starts to his name as well as an impressive resume, which includes a round win and a pole position in last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup.
He has been racing a works Volkswagen in selected rounds of this year’s Australian GT Performance Championship and is happy to be linking with Kmart Racing.
“I haven’t driven a V8 Supercar since Bathurst last year but I’m sure that it won’t take too long to get back into the swing of things,” said the Orange-based driver.
“It’s hard to get up to the pace in the category because it’s so competitive, but there’s no doubt that Steve and I will have the hardware that’s capable of putting us well and truly in the mix when we go to Sandown and Bathurst.
Kmart Racing team manager Rob Crawford said that Owen and Leahey will have their first taste of the team’s Commodores during a test session this Friday at Phillip Island.
“We’ve selected two drivers who are both very experienced when it comes to V8 Supercar endurance racing and that’s an important consideration when we decide our line-ups,” said Crawford.
“Putting our two lead drivers together in the one car gives us a fantastic chance of repeating our Bathurst success and we’ve got Steve and Tim aboard to provide solid back up.”
The Kmart Racing outfit will give both drivers a run at Phillip Island, with the duo to debut in the team’s colours at the Sandown 500 on September 10-12.
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