MAWSON COMPLETES S5000 FIELD

Joey Mawson completes S5000 field – Image: Supplied

Australian international open-wheel and sportscar driver Joey Mawson is a late entry for next week’s opening round of the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship at Symmons Plains.

By HEATH McALPINE

Mawson’s noteworthy achievement was defeating Mick Schumacher to win the 2016 ADAC German F4 Championship and scoring a podium in Porsche Supercup.

Travelling from his Switzerland-base last month, Mawson preparations began on Tuesday once he had completed the 14-day mandatory quarantine in Perth where he undertook a seat-fitting at Team BRM yesterday. This occurred just in time as the Adelaide-based team’s trucks left for Tasmania this morning.

“This has all come together very last-minute but, as they say, better late than never!” said Mawson.

“I’m really excited to be jumping back into a single-seater again and competing in the opening round of the S5000 Championship with Team BRM – with huge thanks to ALABAR, Form700, Astrontech and Cap Rouge.

“Everything will be so new for me – the car, the team, and the circuit – so it’s a lot to take in, but nevertheless I’m looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. And of course, it’s nice to be racing again on Australian soil.

“This will be the most powerful car I will have raced, so I’m sure there will be plenty of smiles out there …

“I want to thank Chris Lambden for all his help and work to get this deal to happen!”

Mawson joins Thomas Randle in a two-car Team BRM ALBAR entry featuring additional support from Astrontech and Cap Rouge.

“We’re pleased to have another strong entry in our squad. It may be a late one, but Joey has a pretty strong open-wheeler resume and will get his head around it fairly quickly,” said Rundle.

After 10 frustrating months since the AGP event was cancelled, literally minutes before Race 1, it is just so good to go racing again, particularly with the S5000 series, which will ‘wow’ the motorsport public …”

S5000 development manager Chris Lambden is excited by the addition of another well-credentialed driver to the grid.

“The great thing about this entry is that it forms an extension of an existing ‘Patron’ relationship with Alan Galloway (ALABAR) and Wasyl Rosati (Form700), who initially came on board to support Thomas Randle by filling that ‘Patron’ role – ie covering the cost of the S5000 car so that the driver, in that case Thomas, only needed to find the actual operating budget backing,” said Lambden.

“That’s what we call our ‘Patron’ scheme, and there are other cars on the grid thanks to a similar arrangement. Indeed, their input will be recognised via the ‘Patron’s Cup’ at the end of the Gold Star series – something like owning the winning horse in the Melbourne Cup …

“Anyway, much credit to Alan, a strong former Formula Holden contender from that 1990s era, and his friend Wasyl, for expanding their input to a second car. That is truly what I call genuine support for S5000 in its formative days – and it’s how we are involving open-wheeler-oriented competitors from the past in Australia’s all-new formula.

“Astrontech and Cap Rouge have come on board to support Joey for this opening round of the series – again at short notice, and with our thanks.

“Joey has great open-wheeler credentials from his time in Europe, and I’m really pleased that it has all come together for him – despite literally no testing, he’ll be a strong contender.”

Entry List – S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship – Round 1

Practice at Symmons Plains begins on Sunday followed by races on Monday and Tuesday as part of Race Tasmania’s opening leg.

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