American energy drink company Rockstar will return to V8 Supercars at Bathurst this weekend, sponsoring Macauley Jones’ Dunlop Series Holden.
The brand backed the Holden Racing Team in 2011/12 after a brief earlier appearance with Tasman Motorsport.
Bathurst will mark Jones’ third Dunlop Series start for his father’s Brad Jones Racing outfit, having run with Holden support at Townsville and Ipswich.
The 19-year-old has scored a best finish of 10th in his four race starts to date and will face a big challenge at Mount Panorama.
“It’s a little bit daunting facing my first Bathurst in a touring car but it’s going to be a great experience and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
Brad Jones, who has resisted the temptation to make a racing comeback to co-drive with Macauley in the 250km Bathurst race, says the rookie’s main aim should be to stay out of trouble.
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“Bathurst is going to be really interesting for him, it’s totally unforgiving if you make a mistake,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to guide him, he needs to be smooth, competitive, and stay out of trouble.
“We’re both very excited about him going up there, to go through the emotions of my nephew competing and now with my son – it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
BJR runs Jones’ VE alongside its Dunlop Series entries for Pirtek Enduro Cup co-drivers Chris Pither and Andrew Jones.
A 28-car field is set to take part in the Dunlop Series race at Mount Panorama, supporting the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Just three drivers – Josh Kean, Andre Heimgartner and Aaren Russell – have selected co-drivers for the race.
Russell, whose brother Drew is entered as a back-up driver and won’t necessarily get behind the wheel, is another to be sporting a new sponsor at Bathurst.
The Novocastrian Motorsport entry has picked up backing from gym chain Plus Fitness.
“I’ve been counting down to this race since it was announced two months ago, it’s massive for the series,” said Russell, who scored a maiden podium last time out at Queensland Raceway.
“It would have been great to finally share a car with Drew, especially at a place like Bathurst, but I’m looking forward to getting out there and tackling the weekend myself and to be getting considerably more laps around Bathurst.
“Last year we had a total of 25 laps across two races, Saturday’s race is almost double that at 41 laps.
“Managing the car over the course of 250 kilometres with tyre wear, full fuel loads and making a pitstop is unchartered territory, but it will be really beneficial for young drivers such as myself. We all aspire to drive in the Main Game and I’m sure we’ll all learn a lot from the experience.
“Beyond that, it’s going to be a massive showcase for the series, racing in-front of a big Bathurst crowd, with a huge TV audience watching our own endurance race.”
Other new-look entries in the field will include an RSport Holden for Tim Macrow, who returns to the series following two tough outings with Dragon Motor Racing earlier in the season, and the now Dogecoin-supported Jack Le Brocq Ford.
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