BTCC ace joins K-Mart Racing for enduros
10/4/2002 17:13 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
British Touring Car Championship ace Andy Priaulx will tackle this year’s V8 Supercar endurance events with the K-Mart Racing Team.
Andy Priaulx joins a long list of BTCC drivers poached by V8 Supercar teams for the endurance races
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K-Mart Racing announced the signing today, after the talented 27-year-old successfully tested with the team at Winton Racing on Monday and Tuesday.
Team Manager Rob Crawford said it was a significant coup to secure the services of Priaulx for the Queensland 500 and V8 Supercar 1000 at Bathurst.
“We are thrilled to be able to confirm that Andy Priaulx will join K-mart Racing for this year’s endurance races,” he said.
“We invited Andy to test one of our K-mart Commodores and his schedule allowed him to take part in this week’s test.
"While a V8 Supercar is considerably different to any of the cars he’s driven to date, especially his current BTCC Honda, he quickly became accustomed to the car and was smooth, fast and consistent."
Mount Panorama’s daunting climb won’t faze the English all-rounder, a former Powerboat and Formula 3 racer, who won the 1995 British Hillclimb Championship in impressive style. British motorsport bible Autosport went so far as to describe one of his victories as “the most devastating display of raw talent the sport has witnessed in 20 years.”
“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to get the opportunity to race with the K-mart Racing Team,” said Priaulx, currently racing for Honda Arena Motorsport in the BTCC.
“Bathurst is known right around the world and to be able to do the race this year, especially with a team as competitive and professional as the K-mart Racing Team, is terrific – I can’t wait. The (car) is also an amazing piece of machinery, a real thrill to drive, and racing it at Bathurst will be an incredible experience.”
Priaulx spent half a day in the K-Mart Commodore over the two-day test and said he felt comfortable from the beginning.
“Rob, Greg (Murphy), Todd (Kelly) and the whole team have made me feel like a part of the team and I’m glad I made the trip out to Australia,” he said.
Priaulx will get his first taste of the V8 formula as a guest of the team at Phillip Island this weekend and will also journey to Bathurst to view the famed circuit first-hand.
A decision on who will fill the final endurance seat won’t be announced for a few weeks, though the team’s endurance import from last year, Nathan Pretty, would be favoured. Rick Kelly was also part of the K-Mart endurance squad last year, but he is now tied to the Holden Racing Team’s Young Lion unit.
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