White Brings International Experience to V8 UtesFormer International and V8 Supercar driver Stephen "Whitedog" White will race at the first round of the 2011 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
White will be the tenth driver with V8 Supercar experience to join the V8 Utes line-up this year. He will be joining the likes of Cameron McConville, Nathan Pretty, Gary Baxter, Grant Johnson, Andrew Fisher, Charlie O'Brien, Ryan Hansford, Chris Pither and David Sieders making this year one of the toughest line-ups to date.
The Melbourne based driver will race James Brock's Holden SS VE for the first round and former MINI Challenge driver Brendon Cook will take the Brock seat for the remainder of the season. White would however like to stay on for the whole year.
"We would like to stay on for the year but unfortunately organised everything at the last minute. We were more prepared for Barbagallo onwards but I really like the Clipsal track. It is one of my favourites and we've always done well there, I also thought it would be a shame to miss the first round if we wanted to have a real go at the Series," said White.
White began his career in Formula Ford, coming second in the Australian Championship in 1993. The following year he moved offshore, placing fourth outright in the British Formula Ford Championship racing for the Swift Factory.
He represented Australia in the Nations Cup in Holland that same year, in 1995 competed in the German Formula Renault Championship, claimed third in the British Formula Renault Championship in 1996 and second in the European World Formula Renault finals in France.
In 1997, White participated in the Holden Racing Team / Holden Young Lions program and was scheduled to get a drive with the Young Lions in the 1997 Bathurst 1000. He raced two rounds of the Shell V8 Supercar Championship at Mallala and Oran Park, finishing in the top 12 and then went on to represent Australia for the second time in the Nations Cup at Donington, UK, with Martin Donnelly Racing.White debuted at the Clipsal 500 in 2002 in a V8 Supercar for Ultra Tune Racing and with his wealth of experience in various production cars is looking forward to the chance to drive a V8 Ute.
"The appeal of the category as a whole is what grabbed me. The entire package is great and unique to any other category out there. You have great value to offer your sponsors with excellent TV and I'm looking forward to the close racing," explained White.
White is yet to test in his V8 Ute however is planning a day prior to Clipsal at Malala Raceway and is banking on his cross training, which includes competing in the Otway 100km Mountain Bike race this weekend to get him through the first round.
Queenslander Brendon Cook will take over the reins of the Brock Race Engineering Holden from Round 2 onwards, unable to make the first round due to overseas commitments. Cook raced in the MINI Challenge Series in 2009 and 2010.
The 2011 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All is televised nationally on the SEVEN Network and is contested over 25 races and eight rounds including the following:
Round Event Venue Date 1 Clipsal 500 Adelaide Parklands, SA 17 - 20 Mar 2 *Barbagallo Perth, WA 29 Apr - 1 May 3 Sky City Triple Crown Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin, NT 17 - 19 June 4 Sucrogen Townsville 400 Reid Park, Townsville, QLD 8 - 10 July 5 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Mount Panorama, NSW 6 - 9 Oct 6 Armor All Gold Coast 600 Surfers Paradise, QLD 21 - 23 Oct 7 Norton 360 Sandown Challenge Sandown Raceway, VIC 18 - 20 Nov 8 Sydney Telstra 500 Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW 2 - 4 Dec
Make-A-Wish® Australia is the official charity of Australian V8 Ute Racing who will endeavour to assist the foundation with their mission, which is to "To grant the Wishes of Children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope strength and joy."
