McLean's boys start work on new AU
1/9/2000 14:42 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - Cameron McLean's Greenfield Mowers operation will begin work on a new AU Falcon in the coming weeks for next year's Shell Championship Series.
The Queensland-based outfit - Paragon Motorsport - are advertising the sale of the ex-Paul Weel Falcon, campaigned by McLean this season, to make way for a new 2001 model Ford.
For Sale - The ex-Tratt Falcon campaigned by Greenfield Mowers racing this year will be replaced with an in-house built car in 2001.
Pic: Michael Shaw
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With McLean joining Dick Johnson's Shell Helix team for the two season-ending endurance events, Paragon Motorsport will use the extended off-season to build the new machine.
"This is the beginning of the next phase for the newly formed Paragon Motorsport", Managing Director, Jamey Blaikie, said.
"Since taking ownership of the team we have spent a lot of time examining our current modus operandi, our relative position in the category, where we intend to get to and the tools at our disposal to get us there."
"As any team obviously does, we deliberated on the car we are currently campaigning and decided that now was the right time to commence building a new car from the ground up," Blaikie said.
The team is undergoing somewhat of a metamorphosis after Cameron's father, John McLean, vacated the garage earlier this year to pursue other Motorsport interests.
The new consortium, which includes Blaikie and Cameron McLean, have taken-over John McLean's garage to establish a stronger, faster Greenfield Mowers Racing team for season 2001.
"V8 Supercar racing is such a tough competition that we want to build this new car now, it's largely about timing, season 2001 is only about 12 weeks after the Bathurst FAI 1000, and as Cameron is co-driving with Dick Johnson's Shell Helix team in this and the Queensland 500 the current car can be offered for sale now," Blaikie said.
"Building the new car now gives us adequate time to do it properly, bolt-by-bolt from the ground up and then test it thoroughly. We will use the latest and best components on our new car and retrofitting this stuff from the old car becomes uneconomic," he said.
The team recently took delivery of the new AU Falcon body shell, and will experiment with different structural designs during construction.
Cameron will partner Paul Radisich in the No. 18 Shell Helix Falcon at the OzEmail 500 next week. Driving combinations for Bathurst are yet to be finalised.
McLean will rejoin the Greenfield Mowers team for a full-season attack on the Shell Series next year.
"Cameron has got the skills to be a winner, and we intend to give him the best possible chance we can," Blaikie said.
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