Don Panoz announces driver line up

[marcus]

Don Panoz has announced his driver line up for the race of 1000 years at Adelaide on new years eve..of course regulars David Brabham and Jan Magnussen will share the lead car and Japanese star Hiroki Katoh will share the second car with Johnny O'Connell.The third car will be driven by either German Klaus Graf or Pier Henri Raphanel but either of them will team up with Aussie youngster Mark Noske..Noske impressed Panoz earlier this year at the V8 touring car round at Adelaide when he was driving a Ferrari 360 modena in the GTP support classes..Noske has had an up and down career from Karts to F.Ford 1600 and then to F.Ford 2000 in the USA before returning to Oz and driving in Formula Holden (Oz F3000)..he has since driven in V8 supercar and shown impressive speed and this year has gone full time in the GTP series in the Ferrari..there is also talk of him test driving a Ferrari Formula one car later this year...Just a number of weeks ago he lost his ride with the "Holden Racing Team" for the touring car endurance races at Ipswitch and Bathurst..for reasons that have bemused quite a few people but now this chance has come up and he is looking forward to the challenge..

"Obviously it will be an exciting event " he said "and driving alongside the likes of Brabham and Magnussen is fantastic".."its really an honor to be chosen as the first local Australian driver for the even and I would like to thank Don Panoz for giving me this opportunity..I carnt think of anywhere Id rather be on new years eve"

rumor has it that Panoz will bring the cars out to Australia early and prepare them here ..and it will give Noske time to test the car and acclimatise before the big event