TENTH DRIVER LOCKED IN FOR S5000

Tim Berryman confirmed as tenth entry for S5000 – Photo: Supplied

The tenth driver for the inaugural round of S5000 has been locked in with confirmation that Tim Berryman will drive a Team BRM prepared car.

Berryman, from Cootamundra in New South Wales, has committed to the all-new S5000 class and will drive one of three Team BRM entries, alongside former F1 ace Rubens Barrichello and Alex Davison.

“I’ve done a lot of racing in open wheelers and big horsepower prototypes, so I feel like I will be ready to take on S5000,” said Berryman.

“I’m very excited by the whole category. I’m over the moon to be involved in the first event at Sandown. I’ll be in the same garage and the same team as Rubens Barrichello, so it will a real ‘pinch yourself’ moment.

“For me, it’s the perfect race car. High horsepower, wings and slicks, paddle shift and above all else, very safe. There’s nothing else like it anywhere in the world and I feel the fans are going to get behind it.

“I don’t really have any expectations for results. I just want to learn the car as quickly as I can. I have not driven it yet, but I think I will get my head around it quickly, hopefully, have a clean weekend and be in the mix.”

Berryman, 42, has spent the majority of his racing in open-wheelers and prototype sports cars, including stints in Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Radicals.

He won the Radical Australia Cup in 2014 and competed at the world-famous Spa Francorchamps in the Radical Masters Euro Series.

In recent times, Berryman has been racing his old Formula 5000-spec Lola in Historic race meeting across Australia.

Berryman will get his first drive of the S5000 car at Phillip Island, joining all of his rivals for a hits-out before practice for S5000 kicks off on Friday, September 20, followed by qualifying and racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets can be pre-purchased or bought at the gate, and for those unable to make it to Sandown for the historic first event, the races will be broadcast live, free and in HD on SBS, or via the Shannons Nationals live stream.

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