Team Australia

Team Australia is an Auto racing team competing in the Champ Car World Series an Nascar Craftsman Truck Series . It was created in early 2005 when two Australian businessmen bought into Derrick Walker's operation.

Origins

After sponsoring young Australian driver Josh Hunt in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, Australian millionaire Craig Gore began to investigate fielding a Champ Car team. His empire already included a V8 Supercar team competing in Australia, and at the 2004 Surfer's Paradise round of the CCWS, on the Gold Coast, Australia, Gore's V8 driver David Besnard made his debut with a WPS sponsored Walker Racing Champ Car. He finished a creditable 7th place, and the seeds were sewn for Gore's assault on the Champ Car series.

In late 2004 and early 2005 Gore and his associate John Fish began negotiations with Derrick Walker. The two Australians bought the team and facilities, with Walker remaining as Team Manager. Obsolete Reynard chassis were replaced with bespoke Lola units, and the team signed Canadian Champ Car veteran Alex Tagliani and Australian Formula 3 driver Marcus Marshall for the 2005 season.

A Learning Year

With a new chassis to learn, Team Australia was hardly going to upset the establishment in 2005. However, Tagliani's consistent, solid drives took the team to many top-ten finishes and several podiums through the year. Tagliani finished the season in seventh place, equaling his career best finish. Marshall, by contrast, was unspectacular, struggling to break the top ten. In all fairness, the jump from a Formula Three car to a Champ Car is a huge one that was exacerbated by Marshall's inexperience on the American circuits. By Team Australia's homecoming at the 2005 Surfer's Paradise race, they had announced that a third car would be run for Australian international driver Will Power. Power outpaced both teammates before a collision with Tagliani took him out of the race. Amongst some controversy it was announced that Marshall's contract had been cut, and he was to leave the team. His attempt to appeal this in court was unsuccessful, and he was dropped in favour of Power, who signed a three year contract. The team ran their third car again in the season finale at Mexico, where newly crowned Atlantics champion, Dutchman Charles Zwolsman made his debut.

2006

Rumours that Ryan Briscoe would be taking the #15 car were crushed when Tagliani re-signed prior to Long Beach. In 2006, Team Australia's commitment extended not only to two Champ Cars, but a two-car Atlantic squad and a two-car Formula BMW USA squad, all aimed at fostering young talent. The team showed fantastic pace at the opening round at Long Beach, with Tagliani and Power running third and fourth respectively before a forced error dropped him down the order. He then suffered from brake problems but finished a competitive 9th, while Tagliani took a podium.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Team Australia expandeded its stable of global motorsport interests with a new partnership with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing that included the naming-rights sponsorship of Marcos Ambrose’s entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in North America.

The sponsorship will be weaved into a nation-wide marketing campaign designed to promote quality Australian and Australian-themed products and Australia as a tourism destination.

The new green and gold Ford F-150 truck carries Team Australia, Aussie Vineyards and R. M. Williams signage. Featured in the primary bonnet position of the #20 Truck is signage for the Aussie Experience – a large-scale interactive tourism exhibit set to launch in North America in January 2007.

A mobile replica of the Sydney Opera House, the Aussie Experience will be making tour stops at some of America’s largest spectator events over a two-year period in what will be one of the biggest Australian-themed marketing initiatives ever seen anywhere.

Marcos Ambrose has showed a lot of driver skill in the #20 Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150 on the banked ovals of America, with his best finish being a podium in Kansas. He sent shockwaves through the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by taking the Bud Pole Position in Kentucky. It is a wonderful acheivement considering this is the first year Marcos has driven on banked ovals.

Team Details

The team gains most of its sponsorship from the businesses of Gore and Fish. Gore's financial company, Wright Patton Shakespeare, features on the sides and nosecone of the cars, Fish Liquor are sponsors and their wine business Aussie Vineyards is the title sponsor. The team is also sponsored by the Queensland State Government, Visa credit cards, R. M. Williams, and Qantas.

Drivers who have driven for Team Australia

• Marcos Ambrose (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series #20)
• Alex Tagliani (Champ Car #15)
• Will Power (Champ Car #5, formerly #25)
• Marcus Marshall (formerly Champ Car #5)
• Charles Zwolsman (formerly Champ Car #25)
• James Davison (Champ Car Atlantics)
• Simon Pagenaud (Champ Car Atlantics)

External links

• Team Australia Motorsport
• Walker Racing