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FORMER BATHURST 1000 DRIVER TO ADD SOME LOCAL FLAVOUR TO V8TC
Two new Queensland entries will bolster the V8 Touring Car Series field next month when the series takes to Queensland Raceway for the third round of what is widely known as a new era of racing for the series.
As a two-time Bathurst 1000 driver and previous series competitor, Shane Beikoff will return to the series in his Turbo Brisbane-backed Ford Falcon AU, while Jarred Danaher is confirmed to fill a second seat in the Ford Falcon FG.
Turbo Brisbane is a long-term competitor in Supercars development events, dating all the way back to the early 2000s, but they haven’t competed in the category since 2009, when Beikoff walked away as a round winner and will now return to the series for the first time since in their home state.
Danaher, a long-time friend of Beikoff, has been working alongside the team throughout the past two decades, testing with the team on multiple occasions before representing them in the Super 3 category in previous years.
Danaher looked forward to making his long-awaited return to the series but was wary of the challenges the new Kumho tyre may present.
“I am very much looking forward to returning after a couple of years, the Kumho series is where I competed in my first Supercars race, so I am excited to come back,” Danaher said.
“We had some issues with the AU in Super 3 last year, so while that is taking a while to rebuild, we saw the opportunity to have a run at Queensland Raceway, I thought it was a great chance to get back out on track.
“It will be interesting to see how I go on Kumho’s, it’s been a long time, but we should be reasonably competitive, in Adelaide we were running top three in Super 3, so I think we have the car for it here too.”
While Beikoff will be running in an older model Falcon, the 67-year-old was confident that Danaher will be competitive in the FG and confirms his desire to return to the field again in 2023.
“It’s a good package having both of the cars entered together, I will probably be one of the oldest guys out there, so I just want to be able to have one last crack at it,” Beikoff said.
“I haven’t seen the field yet, but I think Jarryd will be pretty competitive, that’s what the car is capable of.
“The AU is a little bit older, it will probably be the oldest car out there, but we will have a good run around and give it everything we have got.
“We would like to be there for the next two rounds at Sandown and Bathurst International, my son would probably love to drive there as we like to switch it up.
“After that we aren’t sure, but that is what we will be doing this year.”
The Kumho V8 Touring Car Series is one of six national categories to feature at Queensland Raceway in August and will take the track for three races across the weekend.
Races two and three will feature in the Stan Sports coverage, where fans can watch the action live, on-demand and ad-free.
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The fifth round of the Shannons SpeedSeries will take place at Queensland Raceway on 11-13 August.