Double V8 Ute Champion, Warren Luff has been announced as the Auto One Wildcard for the V8 Utes Series round at the Clipsal 500, March 1-4.

Having last competed in the Ute Series in 2003 (when he won his second Championship), Luff has most recently contested the V8 Supercars Championship last year with Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.

Stepping away from the LDM seat at the completion of 2011, he is one of the lead players in the Castrol EDGE Movie World Stunt Driver Show – and he will need every bit of steering wheel trickery he employs on a day-to-day basis when in the cut and thrust of the Auto One V8 Utes pack.

Considering he was the Driving Standards Observer for the Utes in 2008, Luff  is expecting a square up or two to come his way:

“Being the former Driving Standards Observer, I am sure there’s a number of drivers ready to get me back for on track penalties I may have applied, and I will have to practise what I preached, well at least to a point!”

The talented Gold Coast-based Sydney-sider is under no illusions that the racing will be nothing short of brutal.

“Apart from the odd test day, I haven’t been in a Ute for a long time, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Auto One Wildcard Ute. I’m expecting a good result for the team, however the series is much more competitive than when I last raced,” said Luff.

Luff will step into the V8 Ute after piloting a very different type of V8 vehicle just one week beforehand – he is slated to drive alongside Craig Lowndes in an Audi R8 at Bathurst for the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The eight round Auto One V8 Utes Series begins at the Clipsal 500 – March 1-4 and will conclude at the Sydney Telstra 500.