NEW ZEALAND ROOKIE SIGNS UP WITH V8 SUPERCAR TEAM
14/04/2008

Recently crowned New Zealand V8 Development series Champion, Michael Bristow has been taken under the wing of Australian V8 Supercar Team, ‘Ford Rising Stars Racing Team’ for the V8 meeting at Hamilton this weekend. Michael’s, ‘Tex Onsite’ sponsored NZ V8 will be running at the street meeting and will have the Ford V8 Supercar team helping him for the weekend.

“The Ford Rising Stars Team is an initiative between Ford Australia and renown driver mentor, Jim Morton, to develop their future V8 Supercar driving talent”, Commercial Manager of FRSR, Mr Kim White,  said today. “Jim has also had a number of New Zealand drivers run in our karting teams over the years including New Zealand’s current A1 open wheeler driver, Johnny Reed”.

The Ford Rising Stars Racing Team will be having their first Championship round at Hamilton after making their debut in the non series races at the Australian Grand Prix last month. With a rich tapestry of motor sport success around the World including a Junior World Karting Championship in Portugal and a North American Karting Championship in the USA. The team has also been twice runners up in the Australian V8 Supercar Development Championship and has moved through the junior motor sport categories and into the main V8 Supercar Series this year  

“Tex Onsite will be a prominent supporter of both Michael Bristow’s NZ V8 and the Ford Rising Stars Team cars this weekend. Tex Onsite Pty Ltd, is the market leader in mobile, on site high voltage testing and instrument calibration service across New Zealand, Australia and the USA”, Tex Onsite New Zealand, Manager, Ross Gamble said today. “The Hamilton V8 Supercar event is going to be very exciting as it follows in the successful format of the Clipsal 500 street race in Adelaide which attracts around 300,000 spectators every year”.

Tex Onsite clients include electrical supply and transmission authorities and contractors, local councils, the mining industry, manufacturing industry and electrical industry. Like the race teams it supports Tex Onsite started with humble beginnings as a one man operation and has now spread to provide twenty mobile test units across three countries.
 
Ford Rising Stars Racing driver is 23 year old Michael Patrizi from Perth. This year is his first taste of racing touring cars after racing open wheeler formulas in Asia, the UK and Europe over the last three years.   

FRSR have decided to run twenty one year old, Michael Bristow from Auckland as their Team Rookie Driver for the event and will be providing driving and logistical advice to him over the weekend at Hamilton.  

Ford Rising Stars Racing Team’s flagship commercial partner is Western Australian, diversified mining and services company, Ausdrill Pty Ltd. They provide 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 at their involvement in the V8 Supercar team to increase their brand awareness and in particular attract employees to their Western Australian business operations. In particular they are looking for mechanics, machinists, boilermaker welders, drillers, fitters, mechanical engineers and spray painters.