Another week, another seat....
7/7/2000 20:16 (Jason Whittaker) - As another week goes by, more empty endurance racing seats have been filled, with Larkham, Rogers, the Stones, and the Kiwis all announcing more signings.
Garry Rogers Motorsport has confirmed ex-Formula Ford champ, Greg Ritter, as one of two pilots for the team’s second VT Commodore.
Ritter joined the team last year for the Queensland 500 and FAI 1000 – finishing 9th at Bathurst with Owen Kelly – and will again team with Shell Series campaigners Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna for Team Valvoline-Cummins’ enduro campaign.
While the Rogers garage remains tight-lipped over a partner for Ritter, a number of open-wheeler stearers are believed to be in consideration, including Kelly.
The team’s very own Formula Ford star, 18-year-old Leanne Ferrier, will also get the opportunity to qualify for the drive, and tested a Rogers Commodore earlier this week.
On the back of the Alain Menu announcement for Bathurst, Mark Larkham confirmed through the week that Geoff Brabham will suit-up in Mitre 10 colours to partner Larkham at the Queensland 500 in September.
Fellow Queensland outfit, Stone Brothers Racing, are close to confirming David Besnard and Simon Wills for their Caltex Havoline and Pirtek Racing campaigns respectively.
Aussie-turned-US racer, Besnard will pilot a Caltex-backed SBR Lites Falcon beginning at Lakeside next month, and looks certain to share driving duties with Tony Longhurst in the No. 9 AU Falcon. Wills will be confirmed as Craig Baird’s Pirtek partner in the next couple of weeks.
The new Team Kiwi outfit, who will make their Supercar debut at the Mountain, have selected their pilots, with Jason Richards and Angus Fogg chosen to run the ex-Perkins VT Commodore in the 1000km event. Shane Drake and Ashley Stitchbury are no longer part of the team’s plans for Bathurst, or next year’s Shell Series.
The recent signings leave top-flight enduro seats scarce, with most of the high-profile teams confirming their driver line-ups well in advance.
The Factory Ford operation (Gardner, Bates and Canto), Johnson’s Shell Helix Racing (Bright and McLean), K-Mart Racing (Hossack and Finnigan), CAT Racing (Richards), the Jones’ OzEmail outfit (Mezera), Big Kev Racing (Schwantz and Neal), Super Cheep Auto Racing (Stokell), John Faulkner Racing (D’Agostin and Macrow) and Wynn’s Racing (McLeod) have all announced their driver squads.
However, key seats still remain in a number of top teams, including Castrol Perkins and the Factory Holden operation.
Quick off the blocks in last year’s enduro driver silly season, HRT this year lag-behind the rest of the field in the race to sign driving talent for the bi-driver events.
While a number of drivers have been mooted as possible candidates – David Brabham, Nathan Pretty and Gavin Monaghan among them – the team refuse to be drawn on who will make the cut, or exactly who will partner who.
It is believed the team is also looking offshore for possible drivers, with British Touring Car aces Yvan Muller, Manuel Reuter and Jo Winkelhock very much in the equation. Motorsport News has yesterday declared Muller as all but confirmed for a HRT seat, however the team maintain their silence on possible candidates.
Jeff Grech and his men will run three cars at Bathurst (the Mycar Holden Young Lion entry being the third) which will piloted by Craig Lowndes, Mark Skaife, Todd Kelly, Mark Noske and another two yet-to-be-named drivers.
The Young Lion Commodore won’t compete in the Queensland 500 – all but confirming Kelly and Noske for the second HRT Commodore for Queensland (assuming Lowndes and Skaife campaign the lead car together).
Perkins Engineering, too, are yet to name their drivers for the team’s second Commodore.
It is believed Perkins will opt for two young open-wheelers’, who could be reared to replace Larry Perkins who is said to be considering retirement for next year. Current Formula Holden leader, Christian Murchison, is among the front runners for one of the seats.
A Queensland 500 seat is also up-for-grabs in a DJR Falcon, with Jason Bright’s Indy Lights commitments ruling him out of the September event. The Johnson team has said a Bright replacement won’t be named until closer to the event.
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