WPS Racing V8 Supercar Stars deliver Road Safety message in Benalla
14/8/2004 14:39 (Press Release) -
Wright Patton Shakespeare Racing drivers David Besnard and Mark Noske visited Benalla East Primary School today to give the students an insight into V8 Supercar racing as well as to reinforce the important message of road safety.
It was an opportunity for the children at Benalla East Primary to get an insight into V8 Supercar racing from two experienced V8 Supercar drivers ahead of round seven of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Winton Motor Raceway this weekend.
Besnard, who has had past experience driving for Stone Brothers Racing and Ford Performance Racing, joined the newly established WPS Racing outfit this year and has accomplished numerous personal milestones throughout his career including winning his first V8 Supercar Championship Series race at the Queensland 500 in 2002
Noske returned to the V8 Supercar Championship Series on a full-time basis last year after his driving ability appealed to overseas interests. The 29-year-old has tested for leading USA Champ car team, Team Kool Green’s Indy Light’s in late 1999 as well as travelling over to Italy to spend some time behind the wheel of Michael Schumacher’s 1997 Ferrari Formula 1 car where he became the first Australian to drive a Ferrari F1 car at the maufacturer’s own Fiorano circuit in Italy.
Both drivers have been undertaking a series of school visits to talk about their profession and the importance of road safety
“We drive fast cars for a living but it has to be remembered that our cars are made to race and we do it under controlled conditions,” Noske said.
“It is all very well having a fast car on the street but the danger is that road cars do not handle like race cars. Our cars are engineered to race and we have built in safety features that aren’t available in normal street cars.”
Noske’s sentiments are echoed by his WPS Racing team-mate.
“There’s a time and a place to drive fast and that is on a race track under careful supervision,” said Besnard.
“These days there are a lot of race tracks that have days when you can test the speed and handling of your road car. But it’s so important not to go fast on public roads as you are risking your safety and the safety of other innocent drivers and pedestrians.”
As well as being given the opportunity to ask the V8 Supercar drivers about V8 Supercar racing, children at Benalla East Primary were given the opportunity to get up close to the Wright Patton Shakespeare Audi Safety Cars that operate as the V8 Supercars Official Safety Cars at every V8 Supercar Championship Series and Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series round.
The School Visit is part of the 2004 V8 Supercar Schools Program that visits schools around Australia providing the younger generation with first hand knowledge of the importance of road safety as well as to provide children with a taste of the power, energy and excitement that is involved with V8 Supercar racing.
Together with AVESCO’s state-of-the-art Kenworth B-Double transporter, the two Wright Patton Shakespeare Audi Safety Cars provide Australia’s youth with the opportunity to enjoy the colour and movement of AVESCO’s travelling roadshow.
Today’s visit coincides with the seventh round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla on 23 – 25 July 2004.
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