Steven Bradbury, Paul Morris, Cameron McConville, Charlie O’Brien, Andrew Miedecke Tony Longhurst, Max Dumesny, Leanne Tander, Steve Owen, Luke Youlden and Robbie Madison are just a few of the names on the entry list for Round 1 of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All, during next weekends Clipsal 500 at Adelaide Parklands. (11-14th March.)
The legends will battle for outright honours in the “Ten Years of Legends” race, a celebration of a decade of door to door V8 Ute racing.
All previous V8 Ute Champions will be in attendance over the weekend including inaugural winner Rod Wilson, Marcus Zukanovic, Grant Johnson, Layton Crambrook and reigning champ Jack Elsegood. Back to back winners Warren Luff (2002/03) and Damien White (2004/05) will be viewing from the sideline with Luff as the driver standards advisor for the V8 Ute category and White in between his duties as Fujitsu V8 Supercar operations manager.
The V8 Ute Racing Series has accumulated 170 laps of Adelaide Parklands circuit over the years with Adelaide’s Charlie “Handlebars” Kovacs celebrating his 10th appearance, Gary Baxter and Jack Elsegood racking up 9 appearances.
Baxter will be back to defend his Clipsal 500 title with other 2009 top three winners, Ryal Harris and Kim Jane all looking to claim a podium win again and take out the legends race. Harris will race with hillclimb legend Andrew Schultz and Kim Jane with V8 Supercar and Fujitsu Series winning Legend, Steve Owen.
“What a great celebration for the series 10th year – and the Legends race itself will be a cracker,” explained category manager Craig Denyer. “To survive 10 years in this sport is an achievement in itself, however to celebrate our 10th year with such a competitive group of drivers shows just how popular the V8 Ute series has become. We’re thankful to Jason Allen and the SA Motor Sport Board for the opportunity to showcase our 10 years at the track where it all started, and I know the fans won't be disappointed.”
Newcomers to the Series for 2010 include former V8 Supercar driver David Sieders who will be driving at the Clipsal 500 with legendary FPV General Manager Rod Barrett. “Rocket” Rod raced in Australia and the UK during the 80’s and 90’s, winning the 1985 Tassie Street Race Championship before racing Group N, Sports Sedans and other categories in the UK. He was involved in a massive crash at Brands Hatch in 1991 which effectively ended his professional racing career, before being appointed General Manager of the internationally known Jim Russell Driving School. He returned to Australia as General Manager of FPR, before taking on the GM’s role at Ford Performance Vehicles.
Ford F6 12HR driver Jeremy Gray will also join the Series and race with former V8 Ute winner and 2010 NASCA development Legend, George Miedecke. Miedecke will race head to head with his father Andrew, who will be driving with Jack Elsegood in the Coopers Ford.
19 year old Rhys McNally will take the reins from older brother Glenn in the West Coast Racings Holden VE and will have his sights set on the Racer Industries Rookie of the year, something Glenn won in 2008.
In a last minute signing, “Captain” Rob Jarvis has enlisted veteran sprint car champion Max Dumesny as his legend for the BVC Ford. Dumesny is a 3 time Australian Sprintcar Championship and 7 times Worlds Series Sprintcar Champion. Subject to licence clearance, he will test at Mallala next Wednesday.
The V8 Utes will kickstart their ten year celebrations when they hit the track on Thursday, 11th March with the below schedule to follow:
Thursday, 11 March 8:50am Practice 1 – LegendThursday, 11 March 12:35pm Practice 2 – V8 Ute Series DriverThursday, 11 March 4:15pm Qualifying 1 - LegendThursday, 11 March 6:00pm Qualifying 2 – V8 Ute Series DriverFriday, 12 March 4:55pm Race 1 – LegendSaturday, 13th March 12:15pm Race 2 – V8 Ute Series Driver Sunday 14th March 11:35pm Race 3 – “Ten Years of Legends Race”
The “Ten Years of Legends”Race will be televised live on Network Seven in a 1 hour package, Sunday, 14th March.
Car # / Team Name / V8 Ute driver / V8 Ute Legend 1 Coopers Racing Jack "The Hustler" Elsegood "Mad" Andrew Miedecke - Touring Car and Open Wheeler Legend 2 SEW-Eurodrive Racing Noel "Sledge" Edge Steven "Robbo" Robinson - Vanuatu's one and only motor racing Legend 3 Sage Automation / NHP Electrical Gary "Chuckie" Baxter Cameron "Conkers" McConville - Formula Ford, GTP, Bathurst 24 Hour, V8 Supercar Legend 4 CNW Electrical/ Kanga Racing Peter "Gangsta" Burnitt Chris "The Doctor" Pither - New Zealand HQ and V8 Ute Championship winning Legend 5 Madashell Motorsport/ Capalaba Wreckers Steve "Boss Hog" McFadden Charlie "Blowtorch" O'Brien - Veteran Touring Car, Open Wheeler, NASCAR Legend 7 JMG Maintenance Racing Jeremy "Shades of" Gray George "Slick" Meidecke - 2010 NASCAR development Legend 8 All-Trans Trucks David "Sideways" Sieders Rod "Rocket" Barrett- Legendary FPV General Manager 9 Jesus Racing Andrew "Fishtail" Fisher Rick "The Disciple" Bates - Rally and Production car Legend 13 WPR Racing/ Selectv Gary "Carson" Marcus "Mayhem" Zukanovic - V8 Ute and Commodore Cup winning Legend 14 Narellan Pools/ Big Gun Racing Brad "Packers" Patton Robbie "Mad man" Maddison - International Stunt Riding Legend 16 Variety Motorsport Grant "Granto" Ludbey Brendon "The Tiger" Tucker - Slow talking, fast driving, saloon car Legend 17 BVC RACING Robert "Captain" Jarvis Max "Dirt Man" Dumesny - World Series sprint car Legend 18 Samboy Racing Team Scott "Slamboy" Jennings Paul "The Dude" Morris - Super Touring and V8 Supercar Legend 22 Thirsty Camel Racing Craig "The Growler" Dontas Leanne "The Terrier" Tander - Female Karting/Formula 3 and improved production Legend 23 Workhorse Collision Repairs Ben "The Bull" Kavich Anthony "Butch" Kavich - 80's Touring car Legend 24 Eagle Pro/ Bisley Nandi "Mr Damage" Kiss Rod "Red Line" Wilson - Innaugural V8 Ute Series winning Legend 25 GBF Underground Mining Paul "Dusty" Williams James "Thruster" Brock - V8 Ute/Heavymetal Legend 26 West Coast Racing/ NRW Holdings Ltd Rhys "Stormin" McNally Tim "To Be" Shaw - Tasmanian V8 Future Touring Legend 27 Bob Jane T-Marts Kim "The Assassin" Jane Steve "The Ox" Owen - V8 Supercar and Fujitsu Series winning Legend 33 Cribbin Blencowe Estate Agents Denis "Cribbo" Cribbin Chris "Snapper" Smerdon - Shannons V8 Touring Car Challenge/V8 Ute Legend 37 iseek Racing Jason "Gommo" Gomersall Steven "Doina" Bradbury - Australia's First Winter Olympic Gold Medalist Legend 41 Ice Break Racing/ Williams Race Tech Gary "Macca" MacDonald "Lucky" Luke Youlden - Formula Ford/GT Production/NZL V8 Touring Cars and V8 Supercars Legend 43 ISRI Truck Seats Steve "Spanna" Hodges Matt "The Phantom" Lockwood - New Zealand Championship winning V8 Ute Legend 44 Grove Juice Racing Greg "Freddy" Willis "Grubby" Grant Bromley - QLD Formula Vee Champion Legend 47 Permacoat Grant "Grunta" Johnson Tony "No Baloney" Longhurst - Super Touring, Bathurst winning and Water Skii Legend 55 Vittoria Coffee George "Hollywood" Elliot Marshall "Flash" Brewer - Australian AUSCAR and NASCAR Legend 58 Naked Eye 3D / Global Trading School Ryal "The Kid" Harris Andrew "Sergeant" Schultz - Hillclimb Legend 69 RED Express Delivieries/ Big Brakes Australia Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs Charlie "Junior" Kovacs Jnr - Brother of two legendry goodlooking Sisters 71 Ice Break Racing Layton "Leadfoot" Crambrook Mal "Thorny" Rose - Production Car/Truck Racing/24 hour Endurance Racing Legend 72 Ice Break Racing Pedro "Ondalay" Marusic Tony "The Terrorist" Alford - Legendary Donut Puncher 88 Wake Up Backpackers Racing Warren "Wake-up" Millet Matt "Spacer" Holt - V8 Ute Substitute Legend 98 Storage King/ Wilson Fabrics Ben "Dunny" Dunn Colin "Red Ass" Dunn - Vietnam Veteran and wine tasting Legend
