Gardner comes home to fight for Stones
29/11/2001 0:45 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
The Wollongong Whiz, Wayne Gardner will return home in the new year to launch another assault on V8 Supercar racing, this time with Queensland’s Stone brothers.
Gardner will share the Caltex Havoline Falcon with David Besnard in next year’s endurance races, it was announced today.
And he’ll campaign a Caltex-liveried, Stone Brothers Racing-prepared Falcon in his own right at selected Shell Series events.
It’s all thanks to a deal between Gardner, SBR, Caltex, and new sponsor, Dark Dog energy drinks.
"Wayne is a proven V8 performer and we believe that if he's given the right equipment he will be a formidable competitor," Team Manager Ross Stone said.
"He will also be quite valuable during testing throughout the year, providing us with a third stream of usable data.
"The move will allow us to avoid the possibility of any last minute co-driver surprises for Dave Besnard around the enduro races in the second half of the season.”
SBR’s 2001 endurance campaign was less than successful, with the team forced to keep their lead drivers apart (Besnard and Marcos Ambrose) and pair them with part-time co-drivers.
The 42-year-old former 500cc Motorcycle champion is committed to the Japanese GT Series next year, but will compete in three Shell Series events prior to the endurance races – possibly the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, and the Oran Park and Eastern Creek rounds.
"I have agreed to race in Japan in the GT Series in 2002 and that will remain a high priority," said Gardner, who drove with Mark Larkham at this year’s Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000.
"I have had a couple of offers from a number of other V8 teams – even to race a full season – but I'm very happy with the way this deal has fallen into place.
"The proposition of a full season of testing and a limited season of racing including the two enduros in one of their V8s really appeals to me.
"I also believe that Stone Brothers Racing is one of the best equipped teams in the series at the moment."
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