Matthew White Joins Caltex Havoline racing

[RaceTime]

WHITE JOINS CALTEX HAVOLINE RACING

Caltex Havoline Racing has named Konica Lites runner up, Matthew White as co-driver with Dave Besnard for the upcoming V8 Supercar endurance races.

The announcement has come despite a tough season for White.

After winning the Mike Kable Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and coming second to Dean Canto in the V8 Konica Lites Series, White was hoping for a more successful 2001.

"I started the season with a plan but unfortunately like most well
orchestrated plans it all fell apart," White said.

"The loss of a sponsor early in the year made finances very tight and you just can't run at this level without adequate funds.

"The low point was travelling to Darwin in a desperate bid to qualify for the double points round in Canberra only to be stopped by a technical problem.

White's season has definitely taken a turn for the better after being
offered a seat in the Caltex Havoline Ford V8 during the two traditional endurance rounds, the Queensland 500 and Bathurst.

The 27 year old from Melbourne made an impression on Stone brothers Ross and Jim during the 2000 Konica Lites Series when the team were grooming current Shell Series young Gun Dave Besnard.

At the 2001 Australian Grand Prix meeting Ross Stone offered Matt a test in one of their cars later in the year.

"We've had Matt in the car once already and both Jim and I were quite
impressed," Stone Brothers Racing team manager Ross Stone said.

"After the session we had a close look at the data and decided to give him a go."

Although White has only contested Bathurst and the Queensland 500 twice in a V8, he is confident that in the right machine he and Dave Besnard should be competitive.

"There is no doubting the Stones' ability to build a V8 Supercar," White said.

"I'm just going to concentrate on adapting to the circumstances and making sure I open up a good channel of communication with the team.

"I believe it's the driver's responsibility to get accurate information about the car back to the team.

"I know that if I do that with the Stone Brothers they will put together an extremely competitive package."

The team will carry out another extensive test on Friday July 6 at
Queensland Raceway before heading to Calder for the next round of the Shell Championship on 14-15 July.

[Crash Test]

A pretty good move I'd say. Matt is a good quiet achiever, and he shouldn't be too far off Besnard's pace...heck, White will be the lead driver at the rate Besnard is going!

[marcus]

he would have been better off getting aboard the Ambrose steam train instead of the besnard rollercoaster i would have said.

[DAVID PATERSON]

I very much doubt he would have a had a choice between the two seats.

Notice how these releases never mention how much the seat cost White. Obviously, the teams aren't going to release that sort of information, but I'd be very curious to know.