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SETON TO JOIN KUMHO V8 TOURING CARS AT WINTON

Aaron Seton joins the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series at Winton - Photo: Supplied

By Bruce Williams

Aaron Seton joins the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series at Winton - Photo: Supplied

Aaron Seton joins the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series at Winton – Photo: Supplied

THIRD-GENERATION star Aaron Seton will make his Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series debut at Winton Raceway’s Virgin Australia Supercars Championship event next week.

Seton, who currently competes full-time in the Toyota 86 Racing Series and has already built experience in one-make Porsche and GT endurance racing, will drive a Ford Falcon BF owned by Rod Dawson in the unofficial third-tier of Supercar racing.

Seton, who along with double Supercars champion Glenn, tested the car at Queensland Raceway earlier this year in what was the 18-year-old’s first time behind the wheel of a V8 Touring Car.

“It’s an awesome opportunity that Rod Dawson has given me, and I can’t wait to get my first taste of one of these cars,” he said.

“It was great to get some experience in the car and feel what they’re like. We’ve worked hard to put all of this together so I’m looking forward to getting to Winton and seeing how we go.

“I’ve had experience at Winton in the GT3 Cup Challenge Porsche and the Toyota 86 Series last year. It’s a good track, tight and small but good fun. It’s a good place to get up to speed.”

Seton said the weekend was all about learning rather than worrying about results.

“It’s all about getting laps and experience so we’re going in with no expectations,” he said.

“We’ll go there and have fun, experience the car and race in front of the Supercar teams in a Supercar.

“Whenever I have a question I can go to Dad and ask him anything. He gives good feedback when you’re doing something wrong so as a driver it’s good to have someone like him on your side.”

Seton said the Winton effort represented a one-off opportunity, but that there was plans for more down the road.

“At the moment its round by round. We’ll do Winton and see how we go but we’re also trying to get to Queensland Raceway (Where the V8 Touring Cars will also compete on the Supercars program) as well.”

Seton’s BF Falcon never actually raced in the Supercars Championship, the V8 Sleuth reporting the car was constructed out of an existing WPS Racing chassis to tackle the Super 2 Series in 2008.

The car was raced by Luke Youlden in 2008 and Ryan Hansford through parts of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Nathan Assaillit raced the car in the 2013 Kumho Series, before re-emerging in Scott Loadsman’s hands for a one-off round in Queensland in 2015.

Seton’s inclusion will see an 18-strong field take to Winton, with local driver Jordan Boys leading the standings following his stunning victory on debut at Phillip Island last month.

Boys, driving for Image Racing, leads Geoff Emery (who will sit out round two) and local team Brad Jones Racing’s Jack Smith in the Kumho Series standings – the trio covered by just two points.

Jon McCorkindale sits fourth in the standings following a strong season opener on his ex-SBR BF Falcon, while Eggleston Motorsport’s Tyler Greenbury sits fifth in the standings.

The Queenslander was on-course to win the opening round before an off and subsequent tyre issue saw him fail to finish the final race of the weekend.

Eggleston, two-time champions in the V8 Touring Cars, has entered a second car for the Winton round however is yet to confirm a driver.

Boys also leads the Kumho Cup class standings, ahead of McCorkindale and Jim Pollicina.

Meanwhile, Victorian Gary Collins will make his V8 Touring Cars debut this weekend, running Holden VE II Commodore in its original Jack Daniel’s livery.

The car was built by Perkins Engineering for Todd Kelly to drive in 2008, before moving across to the Kelly’s own team the following year when Perkins’ team withdrew from racing.

The car was raced by Jack Perkins, former Top Gear ‘Stig’ Ben Collins and Nathan Pretty in 2009 and Tony Ricciardello in 2010 before becoming a spare and ride car for the team. It won the team’s first race with Rick Kelly behind the wheel at Hamilton, New Zealand, in 2011.

Collins purchased the car in 2012, when It was returned to a 2011 Jack Daniel’s livery in which It remains to this day.

Victorian Saloon Car racer David Wright will also return to the championship, racing an ex-Paul Morris Motorsport VY Commodore (‘Bam Bam’) owned by Paul Pennisi.

The Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series will tackle three races across the Winton SuperSprint event on May 19-21.