FORD RISING STARS IN GREAT HITOUT FOR ENDUROS
02/09/2008

Ausdrill Ford Rising Stars V8 Supercar Racing Team, [FRSR] completed their second test day within a week at Winton on Tuesday. It was a problem free hitout in preparation for the first of the endurance races at Phillip Island.

The driver pairing of Michael Patrizi and Grant Denyer were also joined by the team’s rookie, Brad Lowe in covering nearly 240 laps over the two days.

“Both Michael and Grant were again fast today with the pair recording times within one tenth of one another”, Team Owner Jim Morton said. “We have all really been looking forward to the two endurance races and feel that our combination will be very equal on times. We have two very even drivers and a fast reliable package and these are all key ingredients for success at Phillip Island and Bathurst”, he said.

“We were all very happy for Brad Lowe who with limited time in V8’s has acquitted himself well at the teams regular test days”, Jim Morton said.

Ford Rising Stars Racing Team will have their first ever fuel stop race at the Phillip Island and have been busy between the test days practicing their pit stops. With the car prepared at Ford Performance Racing there are some clear benchmarks from FPR that the team aspire to.

“We had another very productive day with some fine tuning making the car more comfortable for both Michael and I to drive”, Grant Denyer said. “We had a look at the driver changes but this will be something we will work on more in the lead up to the race”, he said.    
     
The team has been through a steep learning curve together this year and everybody is really looking forward to the first endurance race meeting where there will be more emphasis on reliability and consistent speed.

“Today was my first run in the car with a full fuel load and it was very different”, Michael Patrizi said. “Not only was it full but I did a full tank race simulation run to a pit stop”, he said.  

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.