SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING SECURING ITS FUTURE
13/4/2005 22:04 (Press Release) -
Enduro drivers signed for 2005/06, Tech Manager appointed
SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING has finalised its endurance driver line-up for the next two years, while its technical capabilities have also been strengthened with the addition of a new team member.
Nathan Pretty and Owen Kelly have both signed multi-year agreements to join the team’s regular drivers, Greg Murphy and Paul Weel, for the Sandown 500 and Super Cheap Auto 1000, Bathurst classic in 2005 and ’06.
Former Ford Performance Racing team manager Dave Ward has also joined the team as technical manager and is working alongside SCAR team manager John Panozzo.
Team director Mark Roworth said the signing of Pretty and Kelly to two year contracts, with a further option for 2007, was a bonus for the team.
“Super Cheap Auto Racing is a young, growing team and we are keen to build stability into our program,” Roworth said. “Nathan and Owen have proven records and we are delighted they have agreed to join us for the long term; their experience and talents will be a great benefit to our team.”
Pretty and Kelly have impressive records in V8 Supercars despite limited opportunities; Pretty has three top 10 finishes at Mount Panorama in just seven starts, while Kelly has two top 10 finishes in the traditional 500km Bathurst lead-up events to his credit.
Pretty’s success at Bathurst, where he has driven for such teams as the Holden Young Lions, Kmart Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport, extends past the 1000km classic; the 31-year-old a member of the winning factory Holden Monaro team for the inaugural Bathurst 24hr race in 2002. He returned to finish second in an historic 1-2 for the team the following year.
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“By signing for Holden’s leading team in the 2004 championship, I can’t be anything but extremely happy,” Pretty said. “The team’s results show the cars are already competitive and, having had the opportunity to talk with [team owner] Kees [Weel] and Mark [Roworth] I cannot help but feel confident in my decision to accept their offer of a two year contract.”
Driving for Dick Johnson Racing in the 2004 ‘development’ series, Kelly won two of the six rounds. Despite mechanical failure at three other rounds, he finished fifth overall in the championship. Kelly has three career round wins in the development series to his credit and also a top 10 qualifying result in the V8 ‘main game’, at last year’s Sandown 500.
“I am absolutely rapt, signing with such a competitive and exciting team as Super Cheap Auto Racing for the endurance races more than makes up for missing out on a full-time drive,” Kelly said. “This is far more than just the ‘next best thing’, signing with SCAR gives me a tremendous opportunity to achieve some quality results.”
Weel said Ward’s signing was of great benefit for the long term future of Super Cheap Auto Racing in the V8 Supercar category.
“Dave was underutilised at FPR and I saw an opportunity for both he and Super Cheap Auto Racing,” Weel said. “He has a thorough resume and will work well alongside John Panozzo. Dave’s appointment is not for today, nor tomorrow, but as we look to secure the team’s future in the category. We want to grow SCAR and to do that we need good, experienced people on the ground – Dave fits the bill perfectly.”
Prior to moving to Australia to join FPR late last year, Ward held the role of team manager with Audi Sport’s Team Veloqx sportscar squad and has extensive experience working as crew chief for the Le Mans-winning Team Bentley and chief mechanic for Audi Sport UK amongst others.
“I have built up a good relationship with Kees and Paul Weel over the last couple of months and we all felt that my input and experience would be of greater use to Super Cheap Auto Racing than it was to FPR,” Ward said. “We have talked in depth regarding the team’s long term plans and I feel confident that the goals we set ourselves can be accomplished over the next few seasons.
“Meanwhile, I will work closely with Mark, John and [team engineers] Steve Henderson and Bryce Seales to ensure SCAR will continue to produce good, strong results in the short term, while laying the foundations for the long term.”
Pretty and Kelly’s first opportunity to drive the Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden VZ Commodore V8 Supercars will come at the team’s next test outing at Phillip Island on 19 May. Ward began work at the team’s Dandenong workshop on 29 March.
Release Date: 04/04/2005
Super Cheap Auto Racing
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