V8 Supercars has confirmed three teams have been granted a wildcard entry to this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October.
Ford Performance Racing will prepare a fifth Ford Falcon for New Zealand motorsport team Super Black Racing while part-time Dunlop Series competitors Dragon Motor Racing will field two ex-Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodores with assistance from the former Holden privateer team.
Dragon Motor Racing will also field one entry in the opening round of the Pirtek Enduro Cup, the Wilson Security Sandown 500 in September.
The three wildcard entries add to the full-time grid which sits at 25 this season following the return of three racing entitlement contracts at the end of 2013, taking the grid to its maximum of 28 cars.
Super Black Racing is fronted by Kiwi former world touring car champion and one-time V8 Supercar racer Paul Radisich, and is the brainchild of businessman Tony Lentino who is delighted to have the first New Zealand backed team to compete in the Championship since Team Kiwi.
“I am a proud Kiwi and have a passion for motorsport so being able to create a team and bring the black and silver New Zealand colours back into the sport gives me great pride,” Mr Lentino said.
“Bathurst is the greatest motor race in our region and is as iconic in New Zealand as it is in Australia. It is the best place for us to make our debut and will be a great sounding board to a potential full-time entry in the series.
“FPR is one of the best teams in the business and as defending Bathurst champions they are the right team to be working with. The team’s engineering and commercial structures are able to cope with a project of this nature so we look forward to working with them as our Kiwi team comes together.”
FPR team principal Tim Edwards welcomed the addition of a Kiwi-backed entry and said having the newly formed team in the FPR stable will bring an extra dimension to the reigning Bathurst 1000-winning team.
“Super Black Racing represents a whole nation and one that has produced and continues to produce top-line talent,” Edwards said.
“The concept of helping to bring on the next generation is commendable and the team will add another interesting point of difference to a race that captures everyone’s attention on both sides of the ditch.
“The entry will run separate to ours and be supported by members of our Dunlop Series crew plus additional resource from our factory so it won’t impact our four regular entries.
“We are assisting Super Black with driver selection but obviously our focus is to assist them with bringing on the next generation of stars from New Zealand.”
Dragon Motor Racing was established in 2014 by an investment group keen to see motor racing in Australia progress to the next level and is led by Melbourne-based entrepreneur Tony Klein.
The team only entered the V8 Supercar development series in April and will field two entries in August’s Coates Hire Ipswich 300, to be piloted by Ben Schoots and 2013 Dunlop Series Rookie of the Year Kristian Lindbom.
“We have been working with the team at Garry Rogers Motorsport on our wildcard entry since May this year. Our Team is hoping that our campaign is a catalyst and stepping stone to further opportunities within the V8 Supercar competition” Mr Klein said.
“Both cars were in the top 10 on the grip last year at Bathurst, so if we can put together the right drivers and support team there is no reason why we could not achieve the same results in 2014.”
Both teams will reveal their drivers and sponsors in the coming months.
