PremiAir Racing boss Peter Xiberras has praised team principal Matt Cook for his influence in the growth of the team’s culture.
Cook was hired in May ahead of the Winton SuperSprint, having left Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Born out of the ashes of Team Sydney, a number of factors have rejuvenated the Repco Supercars Championship squad, with Cook having a significant influence.
“We’re on the same page when it comes to team culture,” team owner, Xiberras, told Speedcafe.com.
“That was one of the biggest things that I put to him when we were first negotiating I suppose.
“He’s a big driving force of what I want basically.”
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One of the storylines of the season has been the shock axing of Garry Jacobson from PremiAir Racing following the Darwin Triple Crown.
James Golding was drafted in as a mid-season replacement alongside Chris Pither, with the 26-year-old collecting a top 10 finish at Sandown last weekend.
Neither driver is necessarily guaranteed a seat for next year, with Golding stating he is keeping his options open.
Xiberras has been impressed with the new recruit.
“This is his third event and he’s starting to really feel like he’s settling into the car now,” he added.
“For us to get a top 10 in such a short time, I think it’s an awesome result.
“The team itself is gelling, we’ve actually got a good culture in this team now and everyone is getting on.
“He seems to fit the culture, we like him and he likes us hopefully. The results are the result.”
Earlier in the Sandown weekend, Golding vaulted from 25th on the grid to 13th at the chequered flag of Race 24, before holding his own in the top 10 of Race 26.
“Traditionally I’ve always been a bit better in racing conditions,” he told Speedcafe.com.
“Since I’ve been racing S5000 I’ve actually got much better at qualifying and nailing the one lap which we’re starting to see a bit more of now I’m starting to understand the car more.
“It’s just about getting used to everything and getting it all right on the day.
“It’s not like we nailed the weekend and I’m super stoked and we’re all smiling, there’s still areas we need to improve on and that’s all we’re going to be focusing on between now and the next race.”
The next round of the Supercars Championship is the ITM Auckland SuperSprint from September 9-11.
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