Uncle Brad gives Andrew his chance
1/7/2002 14:57 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
OzEmail Racing’s Brad Jones has hired his nephew, Formula Ford front-runner Andrew Jones, for this year’s endurance events.
Andrew Jones, nephew of OzEmail Racing's Brad Jones, will make his V8 Supercar debut at Winton Raceway this weekend
|
The progressive Albury-based team won’t announce its endurance line-up until next week, but 22-year-old Jones was confirmed as a starter for the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000 yesterday.
Jones will make his V8 Supercar debut at this weekend's round of the Konica V8 Supercar Series at Winton Raceway, aboard the team’s 2000-spec AU Falcon, in preparation for the longer races.
“We have been planning my drive at Winton for a few months and it’s part of a development program I’m working on this year,” said Jones, currently sixth in the Formula Ford championship.
“Over the next six months I’ll race a V8 Supercar at Winton, [the] Queensland 500, the 30-lap Konica race at Bathurst and the Bathurst 1000.
“It’s all part of the learning curve and I hope it’s the first step to a bigger picture.”
Jones said a top ten result at Winton would be a pleasing start to his V8 racing career.
“We won’t have the same level of machinery that the current leaders have,” he said. ”[But] I’d like to think that we can be inside the top ten and possibly give the top six a shake.
“I’ve had the chance to do a few laps at Winton this year in both Brad’s and John’s [Bowe] OzEmail Falcons, so it won’t be totally unfamiliar for me.”
A seasoned racing competitor, Bowe will attend the Winton meeting as a mentor.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Andrew, not only as a driver but as a person as well,” Bowe said. “If I can help in anyway to further his driving career, I’d be thrilled to do so.”
|
|
