Morris switches to number 67 for Sirromet Wines Commodore V8 Supercar
16/2/2005 18:52 (Press Release) -
Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore driver Paul Morris has switched to racing number 67 as part of sweeping changes to his Gold Coast-based V8 Supercar team for 2005.
Paul Morris Motorsports, located at the Holden Performance Driving Centre at Norwell, entered the V8 Supercar Championship in 2000 and since then the 37-year-old team owner-driver has competed in Commodores displaying number 29.
Morris explained the number change from 29 to 67 was linked to the year of his birth in 1967.
"There have been many changes to the team in recent months so we thought it would be good to start the new era with a fresh number," said Morris.
"We decided on number 67 because I was born in '67. Hopefully it's going to be a lucky number for us."
Morris, who won the Calder Park round of the 2001 championship in a number 29 Commodore, will race with number 67 for the first time in the non-championship V8 Supercar events at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne from March 4-6.
Apart from the number switch, other changes to PMM in the off-season include expanding staff to 20, recruiting ex-Dick Johnson Racing and Team Dynamik engine technician Alan Draper, installing new engineering and manufacturing equipment and facilities in the workshop, and forming a technical partnership with Team Kiwi Racing.
The team is also building new VZ Commodores, designed by Technical Manager Paul Ceprnich, for Morris and TKR driver Paul Radisich to race in 2005.
"There's plenty happening and it's all coming together really well," said Morris. "Alan (Draper) is making some gains with the engines and we're hopeful the new cars will be very competitive."
The new Commodores for Morris and Radisich are the fifth and sixth 'in-house' built V8 Supercars produced by PMM since 2001, all designed by Ceprnich with Computer Aided Design-Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD-CAM).
The 13-round 2005 V8 Supercar Championship begins with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 17-20 and includes the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 6-9.
Release Date: 15/02/2005
Sirromet Wines - Paul Morris Motorsports
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