Photo: ENews

Rising Stars raise their game

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Ford Rising Stars Racing Team has announced that it will be moving to the main series of V8 Supercars with a new sponsor Ausdrill, from round two at Eastern Creek this year.
After four successful years in the V8 Development Championship in which it had a forth and two second places the team has done its V8 apprenticeship.

“Our goal has always been to progress to the main game and we have formed some strong commercial partnerships to allow this to happen”, Team Owner Jim Morton said today.

“Last year we began a relationship with Ford aimed at developing future V8 Supercar talent. We have also contracted Ford Performance Racing to prepare the car for us so we have a solid technical base. Our flagship commercial partner is new to the sport and is mining entity, Ausdrill”, he said

Team Owner Jim Morton said today. “Last year we began a relationship with Ford aimed at developing future V8 Supercar talent. We have also contracted Ford Performance Racing to prepare the car for us so we have a solid technical base. Our flagship commercial partner is new to the sport and is mining entity, Ausdrill”, he said.

Ausdrill is a diversified mining and services company providing leading edge services in mining, drill and blast, exploration, procurement & logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications and automotive industries with operations in Australia, United Kingdom and Africa. They are looking to the involvement to increase their brand awareness and in particular attract employees to their Western Australian business operations.

“Ford Rising Star Racing’s background in motor sport is from karting and many of the drivers we have mentored over the years are now in V8’s including James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom, Jason Bright and Michael Caruso. Our move up to the main series will again be with a young driver new to V8’s”, he said.

‘Ausdrill Ford Rising Stars’ driver will be 22 year Perth driver, Michael Patrizi. Michael was an elite driver in karting winning the Australian Championship in the F100 Class. He then raced Formula Fords before moving into the Formula BMW Asia and then Formula BMW UK Championships. Last year he raced the European Formula Three Championship.

“Whilst the team has a Western Australian slant with a WA driver and flagship sponsor it is very much based on a Nascar team model. The car is prepared in Melbourne, the team is Sydney based with a Sydney car designer, the Team Manager from Adelaide and the driver from Perth”, Commercial Manager Kim White said. “You could say we are V8 Supercars first internet based team as our information flow is all done on the net”, he said.

V8 Supercar’s newest main game team will see a green car return to the touring car championship for the first time since Dick Johnson’s famous Mustangs. “The green colour is a return to our roots as the team used to import Tony Karts out of Italy which were also green”, Kim White said. “If we can replicate Jim’s driver’s successes from karting where the team won all the majors here and overseas it will be a good omen”.

Ausdrill Ford Rising Stars Racing Team expects to join the Championship and be on the grid at Eastern Creek in March after missing round one at Clipsal. The team official launch will be held in Adelaide during Clipsal week.