The 2019 MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars series begins this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park with its standalone event, the MRF Tyres Sydney 240.
More than 20 teams will compete in the season opener across five classes, with 2018 runners-up Grant and Iain Sherrin headlining the field along with 2018 Fight in the Night winners Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey.
While there will be a lot of anticipation in who out of the two teams will begin their season with maximum points, the competition has had another interesting narrative occur with the debut of a Ford Mustang GT, built specifically for the category.
Behind the wheel of the brand new car for the five-round series will be former teammates Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns, with Cowham excited about being the first to drive a Mustang in the series alongside Kearns.
“Nobody had committed to building one yet for the APC so it was a great opportunity to do something different in the category, with a car that has such a rich history in Australian motor sport,” Cowham explained.
“We are looking forward to travelling the country with a few mates, having a good time and enjoying the category with the best value for money track time anywhere in Australia.
“Lindsay (Kearns) and I have raced with, and against, each other for more than 10 years now and we have teamed up for a few enduros in that time and have always had a great time, along with the awesome crew we bring with us, so this series seemed like the logical choice for us.”
MARC Cars Australia were behind the building of the slick car for CK Motorsport, after the two parties previously crossed paths, while Kearne had actual racing experience with the crew, competing at Bathurst 12 Hour and the Dubai 24 Hours.
Cowham is impressed with the quality of the car and is hoping to make an surprising impact in the first round and beyond.
“It is a car with decent horsepower but it also carries a bit of weight compared to some of the other cars, so we’ll have to wait and see how it compares on the track,” Cowham added.
“We’re hoping we can surprise a few people, but you never really know until you’re out there doing it, so we don’t really have any expectations for the moment.
“Our goal for the first round will be to have a clean weekend and start to learn and develop the car. If we can do that, the weekend will be a success.”
While MARC cars were one of the main contributors to getting the CK Motorsport Mustang on the track, the team’s major sponsors in Haymans Burleigh, TyrePlus Burleigh, Castrol, Juuce and Escape Energy were also critical in setting it up.
The 2019 MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars will have two stand alone opening rounds before joining the Shannons Nationals in August at Queensland Raceway for the final three rounds of its 2019 season.
Click here for more information on the 2019 MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars.
