TD: Wakefield scores Dynamik drive
11/9/2003 16:24 (Press Release) -
Complex licence regulations have thwarted the Sandown 500 hopes of Dane Jan Magnussen, giving popular Queensland driver Wayne Wakefield a place in Team Dynamik’s car 45.
Wakefield, 33 on Saturday (13 September), will now partner Frenchman Nicolas Minassian in the 500km enduro V8 Supercar round.
Wakefield finished third in the 2000 Konica series, and has an impressive pedigree in V8s, winning a 30-lap lead-up race at Bathurst in 2001. He has also raced at Sandown in 1999.
Today on his way to Brisbane airport he said he was “stoked” to get a drive with Team Dynamik. He was set to co-drive the Sirromet VY Commodore at Sandown but that arrangement fell through, but now he has another chance in a Holden on top ten pace.
Team Dynamik’s technical director Oscar Fiorinotti said the driver change revolved around Sandown’s registration this year as a ‘national’ rather than ‘international’ event as in previous years.
“We’ve tried every possible route to comply with the situation but it’s proved impassable,” he said.
“The promoter needs to rectify this situation and register this race as an ‘international’ event in the future.”
CAMS regulations require that a driver competes with a national licence for national events, and temporarily forfeits their international licence.
Magnussen is leading the Danish Touring Car Championship with the final round next week and driving at Sandown would disqualify him from that race.
“We’ve spent the last two days trying to sort this out with the Danish Federation and CAMS,” said a disappointed Magnussen. He will drive at Bathurst, which has international event status, and has two days of testing scheduled in Australia next month.
The late call-up is an unexpected birthday present for Wakefield, who turns 33 on Saturday. “My partner Michelle had planned a surprise birthday party on Saturday night and when I told her about the last minute call up, she burst into tears,” he said. He hoped she could join him in Melbourne.
Simon Wills and Jason Richards continue as planned in Team Dynamik’s car 44.
Team Dynamik’s fourth driver, Frenchman Nicolas Minassian, has already completed his 2003 driving commitments outside Australia, and is unaffected by the licence regulations.
--Team Dynamik press release
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