IT TAKES TWO - FORD RISING STARS V8 SUPERCAR TEAM ANNOUNCES GRANT DENYER TO JOIN FOR ENDUROS
08/05/2008

Ausdrill Ford Rising Stars V8 Supercar Racing Team, [FRSR], announced today that Bathurst regular Grant Denyer would join the team for the endurance rounds at Phillip Island and Bathurst this year.

“Grant Denyer will join our sprint round driver, Michael Patrizi at the enduro rounds this year”, FRSR Team Owner, Jim Morton said today. “Grant brings a great deal of successful Bathurst experience to the team and will be a great foil for our, new to V8’s, driver at this big event”.

Whilst better known for his television commitments on Channel Seven on their Sunrise Show and his own shows, Grant has had great success in V8’s with a top ten at Bathurst and regular placing’s in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championships.

“The Ford Rising Stars Team is an initiative of Ford to develop their future V8 Supercar talent. Grant’s inclusion in the team will provide plenty of media savvy for his young partner, Michael Patrizi who is having his first year in touring cars after racing open wheelers in Europe”, Team Commercial Manager, Kim White said. “Grant is a proven commodity at Bathurst and our car is a definite top ten car so it provides the FRSR with a very balanced team and a great opportunity for success”.

The Ford Rising Stars Team drivers also includes Brad Lowe from Sydney who is the team rookie and driving this year in the Australian Formula Ford Championship in which he won the first round.

This weekends round at Barbagallo track in Western Australia will be the home event for twenty four year old, Michael Patrizi who is the regular driver of the car. Michael raced open wheeler racing cars in Asia, the UK and in Europe before returning to Australia this year. He is having only his third ever race in a racing car with a roof having debuted at the Grand Prix meeting in Melbourne two months ago.

Ford Rising Stars Racing Team’s flagship commercial partner is WA Company Ausdrill Pty Ltd. 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.

Ausdrill’s operations include their drill and blast exploration services,  ‘Diamond Communications’ who specialise in horizontal boring, optical fibre hauling and jointing and cable ploughing. ‘Supply Direct’ with offices in WA, the UK, South Africa and Ghana who is a single source supplier to major mining projects. ‘Westrans Services’ who service repair and maintain heavy vehicles, cranes and fork lifts

“V8Supercar sponsors are usually looking for brand exposure on Network Sevens television coverage or as a means for networking or even for corporate entertaining of their major customers”, FRSR Team Owner Jim Morton said today. “However when WA diversified mining and services company, Ausdrill joined the ranks of being a V8 Supercar flagship sponsor for new team ‘Ford rising Stars Racing’ it included a totally different reason”, he said.

“Ausdrill are looking for employees to join their various interests in the West. Including Mechanics, Machinists, Boilermaker/Welders, Drillers, Fitters, Mechanical Engineers and Spray Painters to work in mining areas and mechanics for their automotive business”, Jim Morton said. “ For each round Ausdrill have an ‘Apprenticeship Initiative’ with their employees where two or three of the companies apprentices join the race team as part of the crew for the weekend”, he said.

Ford Rising Stars Racing Team is also supported by Tex Onsite Pty Ltd who is the market leader in mobile, on site high voltage testing and instrument calibration service across Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Australia’s largest manufacturer and exporter of baths and spa baths, Decina Bathroomware. Colourscan, the creative printing company from Queensland, PWR high performance radiators, Perth’s AV Truck Service, Man Trucks and the Supply Clusters buying group.