Walburn Signing A Coup For WPS Racing
4/4/2004 8:26 (Press Release) -
Ian Walburn, one of the most experienced engineers in Australian motorsport, has shifted to the new WPS Racing team for the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series. The signing of Walburn, who started the year with one of the leading V8 Supercar teams, is a coup for the already well-performed WPS Racing.
Walburn has a long history in motorsport dating back to the 1970s when he worked with leading driver Allan Moffatt and, in more recent years, with Glenn Seton in the Fred Gibson Motorsport team.
He has also worked on engineering and chassis construction for several other V8 Supercar teams and about four years ago travelled to the US to work in Nascar racing for the legendary Bill Elliott.
WPS Racing team owner Craig Gore said the signing of Walburn as chief engineer adds a new level of depth to the team.
“Ian is one of the most respected engineers in Australian motorsport so it is a privilege to welcome him to the team,” said Gore.
“We look forward to his contribution to WPS Racing from the second round of the championship at Eastern Creek this weekend.”
The signing of Walburn will see Charlie O’Brien, the co-team manager who has overseen the engineering of the WPS Racing Ford Falcon since the team was formed seven weeks ago, take on a new role in the team.
O’Brien will move to the position of general manager of WPS Racing and will engineer the team’s planned second car on race weekends in conjunction with Walburn.
Keith Evers, who was co-team manager with O’Brien, will assume sole responsibility for team management.
WPS Racing goes into the second round at Eastern Creek this weekend in 13th position on the V8 Supercar Championship Series table.
Driver David Besnard was originally listed as finishing the first round, the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, in 12th position but was relegated one place when a points penalty against driver Paul Dumbrell was overturned on appeal.
The team is seeking to consolidate its position on the table this weekend.
Besnard’s fellow team driver Mark Noske will sit out the second round at Eastern Creek as WPS Racing continues to negotiate over a second license that will allow it to run two cars in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Release Date: 31/03/2004
WPS Racing
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