Former Formula Ford racer Ryan Simpson will become the first driver to campaign a Triple Eight chassis in the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series when he joins the category at Winton next month.
The 25-year-old Sydneysider has secured 888-012A, the Ford Falcon BF driven by Craig Lowndes in the majority of the 2008 V8 Supercars Championship.
The car was then run by Sonic Motor Racing Services in the 2009 and 2010 V8 Supercars Development Series, taking out the Townsville round in both seasons in the hands of James Moffat and Tim Blanchard respectively.
Simpson has raced Mitsubishi Lancers in the Australian Manufacturers and NSW Production Touring Car classes in recent years having pulled out of a Formula Ford program with Sonic midway through 2010 citing business commitments.
The car, which has sat idle at Sonic over the last two seasons, will be prepared by Jim Pollicina’s existing Kumho Series outfit.
“Mick (Ritter, Sonic team principal) still has the car so he’ll drop it off at the actual Winton round then we’ll bring it home to Sydney and look after it and run the rest of the series and possibly next year as well,” explained Simpson.
“We’re going to run the car out of Jim’s team. We’d originally looked at buying an ex-Tasman car similar to his, but there was nothing about. Then we came to the Triple Eight Falcon and it was too good a car not to secure.
“It’s a good chance to get in a V8 in the Kumho Series without having to spend the sort of dollars you need to in the Development Series.”
Simpson had his first ever taste of a V8 Supercar recently at Winton Motor Raceway where he completed a handful of laps aboard the Evans Motorsport Falcon FG that is currently being campaigned by Kristian Lindbom in the Dunlop Series.
