V8 Utes Grid Up For Season Opener

Gentlemen start your Utes, Round One of the Yokohama V8 Ute Series is revving up with a full grid set to pack down at the Clipsal 500 in
Adelaide on Thursday, March 23-26.

Heading the field with his eyes set on taking out a Championship hat
trick, will be Wollongong's Damien White.

Winning back to back titles for both Holden and Ford, the reigning champ
vows that 2006 will again be his year.

In the off season IMB team driver, White, along with his business partners formed Wollongong Performance Racing, a new team with innovative facilities that will field two Fords and one Holden Ute which
is being prepared for the hands of Yanis Derums.

Keen to wrap up his first national championship will be 2005 Clipsal 500 winner and championship runner up, Marcus Zukanovic, also driving a Ford
XR8.

"It takes a lot of skill to nail a quick lap through Adelaide's concrete canyons and I'm ready to take Damien on again for the top podium
position," said Zukanovic.

Former Sydney NRL Rooster Jack Elsegood will also be on the pace in the Coopers Pale Ale Ford after he and team mate Alan Simonsen were wiped out of last years Adelaide event after a massive pile up during race
two.

Holden front runners are expected to include Adelaide's Gary Baxter, Melbourne's Kim Jane, Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs and Queensland's Ryal
Harris.

The 20 year old Gold Coaster starred in last year's series and was a real chance for the series win until he was plagued by suspension
problems at the final round.

Joining the Yokohama V8 Ute Series for the first time will be Gold Coast based Mathew Kingsley in the Action Tyres Holden Commodore, Ashley Cooper running the second Ford prepared by Damien White, James Harrigan aboard the Ian McAlister Falcon, Craig Dontas in the CSA Wheels Ford, and Andrew "In like" Flynn driving the Four Seasons Condom Ford.

Eight new BF Ford's will also debut at the Clipsal 500, with another
eight under construction.

The 5.4 litre Boss engine and six speed gearbox is expected to be a
close match to the existing Commodore package.

In testing at Winton raceway last week, both Ford and Holden lapped
within 3/10ths of a second.

V8 Supercar driver Luke Youlden was the nominated independent test driver delivering feedback on the new Bilstein control suspension
package to the V8 Ute technical panel and Board.

"This was a great opportunity for the Board and Technical Panel to see first hand the effort that Les Small has put into building the new
Ford's" said V8 Ute Company Director Kim Jane.

"They look sensational, are extremely well built and it is important to all our stakeholders that the parity between the two manufacturers is
line ball.

It's clear that the Winton test session gave us some great feedback and
a meaningful benchmark to kick off the year."

The Yokohama V8 Ute Series features identical production based Ford XR8 and Holden SS Ute's racing in a national eight event motor racing series
covering most states of Australia.

ROUND 1 - CLIPSAL 500 ADELAIDE - SCHEDULE
Thursday March 23
Practice Session 1: 1145 - 1205
Practice Session 2: 1835 - 1855

Friday March 24
Qualifying: 0830 - 0850

Saturday March 25
Race 1: 0905 - 0920
Race 2: 1705 - 1720

Sunday March 26
Race 3: 1035 - 1050

 2006 YOKOHAMA V8 UTE SERIES CALENDAR 

 Event	Status		Location		Date

 State/Country

 1	Non Championship	Manfeild NZ		Feb 3-5

 NZ

 2	Round 1 		Clipsal 500 	Mar 23 -26

 SA

 3	Non Championship	AGP			Mar 30 - Apr 2

 VIC

 4	Non Championship	Bathurst		Apr 13 - 16

 NSW

 5	Round 2 		Oran Park 		May 6 - 7

 NSW

 6	Round 3 		Wakefield Park	May 26 - 28 	NSW

 7	Round 4 		Hidden Valley 	Jun 30 - Jul 2 	NT

 8	Round 5 		Philip Island 	Aug 19 - 20 	VIC

 9	Round 6 		Qld Raceway 	Sep 2 - 3

 QLD

 10	Round 7 		Indy Lexmark 300 	Oct 19 - 22

 QLD

 11	Round 8 		Eastern Creek 	Nov 25 - 26 	NSW

 

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