Seven drivers vie for K-Mart Bathurst seat
19/6/2000 21:52 (Jason Whittaker) - The skill, nous and experience needed to tackle the greatest challenge in Australia Motorsport - 161 laps of Bathurst – is great. But these days, a young driver will need all that, and more, just to be given the chance to line-up on the grid.
K-Mart Racing today announced the list of candidates for the team’s remaining enduro squad vacancy, seven of them in fact, who will vie in a cut-throat, winners-take-all battle for a coveted endurance seat in the second K-Mart Racing Commodore.
K-Mart Lites steerer Ryan McLeod, GTP driver and ex-ironman Grant Kenny, Kiwi Shane Drake, Young Lions convert Stephen White, Formula Holden racer Matthew Halliday, former Gibson driver Darren Hossack and current K-Mart Formula Ford driver Stewart McColl will all go head-to-head in the coming weeks for the chance to join the reigning Bathurst champions in the endurance events.
The recipient chosen will share the second K-Mart machine with already-announced enduro driver, Terry Finnigan. Shell Series campaigners Greg Murphy and Steven Richards will spearhead the team’s endurance assault in the lead car.
Team owner, Garry Dumbrell, said all drivers would receive an equal opportunity to “qualify” for the drive.
"The obvious thing to do is favour drivers who have had V8 Supercar experience and there are a few among the list who have punted around Bathurst in particular," Dumbrell said.
"But in this case, I’ll be looking more for a well-rounded driver with the necessary skills and, importantly, temperament to finish Bathurst somewhere in the top ten, which is no mean feat,” he said.
Each driver will be given the chance to test the team’s VT Commodores, where their times and ability to adapt to the car will be assessed prior to the final decision being made.
"It’s important that we choose someone who can work in well with their co-driver, Terry Finnigan, and with the rest of the team in the pits who are all keen to repeat last year’s win,” Dumbrell said.
While V8 experience isn’t necessarily part of the driver brief, McLeod’s V8 Lites prowess (he currently sits third in the Konica Lites Championship) and Hossack’s previous work history with the Gibson garage, make them obvious favourites.
Inexperienced Kenny is yet to shine in the GTP class, while Stephen White never had the chance to prove himself in the HRT Young Lions outfit. Kiwi TraNZam racer, Shane Drake, is somewhat of an unknown quantity, however his name has been connected with the new Team Kiwi outfit for next year’s Shell Series.
Should Dumbrell opt for the raw, unproven open-wheeler talents, Halliday could prove more suited to the V8, however McColl already has a Dumbrell contract for the Formula Ford class which could give him the edge. Halliday has also tested with Mark Larkham’s Mitre 10 operation.
"The problem is, it’s such a talented list of drivers, to pick one from the seven is going to be near impossible. Still, we only have the one seat so I expect competition for the spot to be pretty fierce," Dumbrell concluded.
The announcement of the victor will be made after testing in the coming weeks.
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