JOHN MARTIN RETURNS TO S5000 FOR BATHURST
John Martin will join the S5000 Tasman Series grid at Mount Panorama next week, returning to his open wheeler roots.
The 37-year-old joins Luis Leeds in a two-car AGI Sport S5000 entry, driving the same car Ben Bargwanna raced at Sydney Motorsport Park last round.
Martin will channel all his experience as S5000 races at Bathurst for the first time, having competed in international open-wheel competitions including the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, Super League Formula and British Formula 3.
He also has ample experience in Ligier JS F3-S5000 machines, with six races in S5000 under his belt in 2019 including a win at The Bend Motorsport Park.
The S5000 drive will be a shift from Martin’s most recent motorsport experience, driving in the TCR Australia Series with Wall Racing.
Martin is seventh in the TCR standings in a Honda Civic Type R TCR, with a podium finish to his name at Phillip Island in March.
Elsewhere on the TCR grid, Aaron Cameron returns after winning the opening Tasman Series round at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Cameron will also do double-duties in S5000 and TCR at Mount Panorama in a bid to claim the Tasman Cup and the $30,000 champions prize that goes with it.
The Garry Rogers Motorsport driver leads Spanish ex-Formula 1 racer Roberto Merhi and Tim Macrow by 19 points following the three races in Sydney last weekend.
Vacating the car that Martin steps into next week, Bargwanna will focus on his TCR Australia duties at Bathurst, having only planned to contest the opening Tasman Series round.
Cooper Webster will also sit out the Bathurst event – his new Versa Motorsport team setting itself for a full campaign in the 2022 S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship.
The S5000 Tasman Series takes to the track for a pair of 30-minutes of practice sessions next Tuesday November 30, prior to qualifying on Wednesday and the first of four races on Thursday.
Subsequent races will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning to conclude the seven-race Tasman Series.
