Jones goes on-line to back V8 challenge
7/2/2000 14:57 (Jason Whittaker) - Seasoned motorsport campaigner, Brad Jones, has searched the vast expanses of cyberspace to find a backer for his 2000 V8 campaign, and last week announced the signing of Australian Internet giant OzEmail as principal, naming-rights sponsor.
Brad Jones gets his first full time SCS/ATCC ride since 1989 in the #21 Falcon.
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Jones, who will compete in both the Super Touring and Shell Series Championships this year, officially launched his campaign for a 5 Litre title, last week.
Jones bought-out Tony Longhurst's Castrol Ford franchise, including Longhurst's '99 AU Falcon, at the end of last season. After being stripped, updated and improved, the Falcon rolled out of the paint booth last week, decked-out in striking green and white OzEmail livery.
The venture is a first for the growing Internet company, who will form a partnership with Jones for at least the next 12 months. The team will be known as OzEmail Internet Racing.
"It's a new challenge and we've got a new partner in OzEmail Internet. They're new to motorsport but their business is very competitive and it's booming, a lot like V8 Supercar racing," Jones said.
The team has also received a boast from the Ford Motor Company, who, in an enormous show of faith, have committed to directly supporting the team, both technically and financially, in only their debut year in the category. Jones' operation becomes the tenth team Ford has thrown their support behind for the 2000 season.
By his own admission, Jones concedes this year could prove the biggest test in his long and distinguished career. Jones will continue to compete under the Audi banner in the Super Touring class, as well as commit to a full-season of V8 Supercar racing, equating to nearlly 25 weekends of racing.
Despite having a race-hardened, proven piece of machinery under him, and one of the most dedicated, successful racing operations anywhere in the country, Jones is under no illusions.
"My goal this year is to finish in the top 10 in the championship. I don't think that's being silly or over-ambitious," the 40-year-old semi-veteran said. "I'd like to think that once we get a handle on the car and set-up we can make it into the front-runners at some circuits."
"Even so, until we get on the track and see where the watermark lies, and where we are, we won't know the exact challenge. So it's going to be a big year."
At 40 years old, and after being a dominant force in Super Touring for nearly five years, and numerous stints in the AUSCAR, NASCAR and GTP classes, Jones sees the V8 Supercar Championship as the ultimate challenge.
"For us, it's the final challenge. We've competed in just about everything up to now from Formula Ford and AUSCAR to Super Touring and NASCAR. Competing in V8 Supercars is a very important part of being a complete driver and showing we have a successful race team."
Early testing and development work with the year-old, ex-Longhurst AU model Falcon has been positive, and Jones is confident the car will be competitive throughout the season.
"We've done a huge amount of work on the car," he said. "That's kept us off the track but we think we've made a fair bit of progress and found some speed."
"Tony (Longhurst) usually ran between eighth and fourteenth so that's given us the first target for the season. We'll be testing this week so we're ready to go at Phillip Island."
The Jones operation is a partnership between Brad and his brother Kim, who will play the role of Team Manger for Jones' assault on the V8 title.
"Brad's my brother and my best friend, but I don't know anyone else with his drive and will to succeed. It's something we both seem to share and as a combination it makes us hard to toss," brother Kim said.
"We think we've got some new ideas but for the moment we're concentrating on the basics. With the limited testing time we have available, the big challenge is getting a user-friendly package so that Bradley can get out there and race," he said.
Jones' previous outings in a V8 Supercar were with Mark Larkham's Mitre 10 outfit, where he has partnered Larkham in the season-ending endurance events over the past few seasons. Jones last competed in a full-season of V8 racing in 1993.
The Jones V8 assault begins at Phillip Island this weekend.
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