EXCLUSIVE - SBR 2001 shake-up: Ambrose in, Baird out
7/11/2000 13:16 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - Queensland-based Stone Brothers Racing is set for a major overhaul over the summer months, which will see open-wheeler stars David Besnard and Marcos Ambrose taking the reigns from Tony Longhurst and Craig Baird for season 2001.
Both Stone Brothers Shell Series cars will have new pilots in 2001.
Pic: Michael Shaw
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After a lacklustre year, Kiwi Craig Baird will be shown the door by the Brothers Stone after just one season with the team, while the aging Tony Longhurst will step aside to make room for the two new recruits.
While Besnard had been confirmed as an SBR starter earlier in the year, we have uncovered exclusively that he will be joined by British Formula Ford champ Ambrose next season. Sources close to the team tell us Ambrose has all but been confirmed to drive under the SBR banner next season.
It would be Ambrose’s debut behind the wheel of a V8 Supercar.
It is believed Ambrose will pilot Baird’s Pirtek Falcon next season, while Besnard will replace Longhurst in the Caltex Havoline machine.
43-year-old Longhurst will remain with the operation as a mentor, and endurance pilot.
When contacted by us this morning, Stone Brothers chief Ross Stone denied Ambrose has already signed, but refused to rule him out of contention.
“We tested yesterday at Lakeside which was our final test before Bathurst. We are totally focused on getting a good result at Bathurst and we have no intention to announce our plans until well after the FAI 1000,” Stone told us.
On-the-market Craig Lowndes is not part of the Stone Brothers plans for the 2001 season. We are told Lowndes has spoken to SBR, but legal problems made any possible deal difficult.
With Ambrose – one of two candidates for the vacant Ford-Tickford Racing seat – now tied-up with the Stones, it is unclear where this leaves Glenn Seton and his choice of a co-pilot for next season.
Ford-Tickford Racing’s Media Manager Paul Burfitt told us this morning that he believed Ambrose would sign with SBR, but this would not affect the Ford-Tickford line-up for next season.
Burfitt would not be drawn on possible candidates, saying only that FTR’s QLD 500 pilot Dean Canto had committed himself to running the ex-Paul Weel AU Falcon in the revamped Konica Series next year.
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