Jim Beam Racing Confirm Endurance Line Up

[Donut King]

Jim Beam Racing has confirmed that David Besnard and Matthew Halliday will join Steven Johnson and James Moffat as co-drivers for the 2011 V8 Supercar Championship endurance season.

Besnard will join Johnson in the #17 Falcon FG while Halliday will pair with Moffat in #18.

Team co-owner Dick Johnson said that experience and ability were the key factors in the signing both Besnard and Halliday.

“They are both class acts,” said Johnson.

“Besi will be a great fit for Steven; he’s quick, reliable, knows the circuits and has shown that he can race at the front with the main series drivers.”

“Matt’s a really mature and experienced driver which will work well for James in his first year.”

“Getting guys of their calibre onboard for the enduros will round The Team out nicely”.

For Besnard, a phone call was all he needed to jump on board with Jim Beam Racing for 2011.

“I was lucky enough to have a few choices (for enduros) this year,” he said.

“But when Dick called it was an opportunity and an honour I couldn’t refuse.

“Steve and I have been friends for a long time and we have often spoken about winning Bathurst together.

“I think we make a pretty strong team and we plan to give it a red hot go.”

Halliday said that he was confident his pairing with Moffat would benefit the rookies Championship campaign.

"Joining the reigning V8 Supercar Champions and driving as part of Jim Beam Racing with a famous name gives me every reason to believe we can aim for some very strong results at both Philip Island and Bathurst,” said Halliday.

"Bathurst remains one of the world's most historic motor racing events and with my continuing experience in endurance racing feel I can contribute to the team's and also to Moff's overall championship season."


DAVID BESNARD

Career achievements
• 2010 - 7th Bathurst 1000 Led most laps and 2nd fastest race lap time
• 2009 - 9th Bathurst 1000
• 2008 - 3rd Bathurst 1000
• 2007 - 2nd Bathurst 1000
• 2006 – 1st Pukekohe & Teretonga rounds, NZV8 Championship
• 2004 – 7th Lexmark Indy 300, Champ car- best result by an Australian at this event in A Champ Car and best debut result since Nigel Mansell
• 2002 – 1st Queensland 500
• 2001 – 2nd Oran Park V8 Supercar round
• 2000 – Competed in two rounds of the Konica V8 Lites Series (Development Series) winning both
• 1998 – US Formula Ford 2000 Champion
• 1996 – Australian Formula Ford Champion
• 1995 – Competed in three Formula Ford races winning the first two and broke both legs at Eastern Creek in a massive accident
• 1992 – European Junior Karting Champion, Australian Junior Karting Champion
• 1991 – Australian Junior Karting Champion

Career Biography

1985-1991
David started racing karts at the age of eight, winning numerous club championships and seven state titles. He progressed through the karting ranks to win two junior Australian karting titles in 1991 and 1992.

1992-1994
In 1992, David decided to test his skills in Europe, heading to Italy for three seasons of karting in an international environment. David raced for top European kart teams, winning a European Junior Karting Championship in 1992 and taking third in the Italian Junior Karting Championship in the same year.

1995-1996
David returned to Australia in 1995 to tackle the national Formula Ford Championship, winning his debut race at Oran Park.

In 1996, David again competed in the Australian Formula Ford Championship. He dominated the category with five pole positions, seven race wins, earning both the Championship and the Rookie of the Year title.

1997-1999
David headed overseas again in 1997, this time to the US to try the Formula 2000 Championship after successful testing with Primus Racing.

In 1998, David created history by achieving eight poles, eight victories and an impressive nine qualifying and race lap records on his way to winning the US Formula 2000 Championship.

1999 saw David compete in three Formula Atlantic races with Hylton Motorsport, finishing 6th on debut at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also took part in the Petit Le Mans 10 hour race at Road Atlanta in A Factory BMW M3, claiming second.

David returned to Australia in late 1999 and successfully tested with Stone Brothers Racing.

2000
David won his first V8 race and round at Lakeside in the Konica V8 Lites Series. He went on to win the next round at Mallala and eventually placed fifth in his debut season.

2001-2002
2001 was David’s first full year in V8 Supercar competition and included a second place at the Oran Park round and a front row start at the Queensland 500.

David was arguably the most improved V8 driver in 2002 after jumping from 27th in the series after round one to eighth at the conclusion. David had his first V8 Supercar win at the Queensland 500, after his first round podium finish at Barbagallo.

2003
In 2003 David joined the newly-formed Ford Performance Racing (FPR) team along with fellow Ford contracted drivers Craig Lowndes and Glenn Seton. David battled through the first half of the season with old equipment while the team went through a massive building process.

2004-2005
When FPR was reduced to a two car team at the end of 2003, David joined the newly-formed WPS Racing team. David won the final race in the Tasmania Triple Challenge in V8 Supercar Championship Series, the first race win for WPS Racing in its maiden year.

David also had the opportunity to drive a Champ Car at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the streets of Surfers Paradise, where he placed 7th in his debut race, best debut result since Nigel Mansell.

David continued with WPS Racing in the V8 Supercar Championship in 2005.

2006-2007
In 2006, David tried his hand at the NZ V8 Championship with the Hydraulink Racing Team. He won two rounds of the series and finished 4th in Championship.

In 2007, David signed with his old team, Stone Brothers Racing, to compete in the endurance races with James Courtney in the JELD-WEN Motorsport Falcon and finished 2nd.

2008
David again signed with Stone Brothers Racing for the endurance races with James Courtney and the pair made it back to back podiums finishing 3rd

 

[Donut King]

MATT HALLIDAY

Born in Auckland in 1979, Matt Halliday grew up around racing cars. His father, Don, was a multiple NZ Touring Car Champion, so it was virtually inevitable that Matt would follow his passion and began competing in junior go-karting at the age of seven. During the mid 1990's success came frequently and culminated in winning the NZ Junior Championship (Junior Light and National) in 1994. The following year he won the NZ City of Sails Championship in Auckland and in 1996 the National Senior Karting Series.

During 1997 he purchased a Formula Ford and contested some unofficial championships over the winter months then set out on an assault of the 1998 series. Despite the cut and thrust, wheel to wheel racing he shone at the front of the field throughout, scoring eight second places and 12 podium finishes for an overall 4th place in his first attempt at the series.
His next campaign saw him contest the Australian Formula Holden Championship with the Ralt Australia Team for two seasons where he finished 3rd overall both times. Despite not having previously seen an Australian circuit he adjusted well to score a series of podium finishes climaxed by a remarkable 2nd place in the high profile Adelaide 500 meeting and two consecutive 3rd places the New Zealand Grand Prix, the latter with NRC Racing.

Having come to the attention of some influential enthusiasts Matt embarked on a more professional campaign in the lucrative USA racing scene. Financial backing enabled him to compete in the 2001 USA Indy Lights Championship which was the second tier to the CART Champ Car World Series. Despite missing the first three rounds he finished every race in the points including two podium finishes (3rd place) to come 6th overall in the championship and 4th in the rookie standings for first year drivers.

For the 2002 season Matt returned to the USA to drive in an inaugural oval circuit championship - the Indy Racing League's Infiniti Pro Series - but was eliminated by a serious injury accident in the first race. After a recuperation period Matt stunned everybody by returning to the series and finishing his comeback race in 6th place but withdrew from the remainder of the season in order to expedite a full recovery from his injuries.

In 2003, after successfully competing is some local Porsche GT3 races, Halliday signed to drive in the inaugural Formula Renault V6 Eurocup Series on some of the most famous European circuits with the feature event in the series supporting the historic Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. Halliday led from pole position to totally dominate the race for 23 of the 24 four laps only to have victory cruelly taken away by a gearbox electronics failure on the final lap but was still limped home to gain second place.

Having established himself as racing driver of high ability, Matt then contested several long and short term racing campaigns which sealed his reputation as a serious competitor over the following years. To date his experience includes a variety of campaigns including USA Champ Cars, A1GP, Formula Renault V6, V8 Supercars (Enduro), Porsche GT3 and Porsche Supercup (Europe).

Although the outcome of his 2007 three race Champ Car campaign was not what he had hoped for, his performances in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport were significant after he qualified on the front row of the starting grid for the first ever race in which he finished 3rd at Britain’s tricky Brands Hatch circuit. He then drove most of the remaining rounds to see New Zealand 4th overall for the debut A1GP season.

Matt’s performances were nowhere more noticed than in his home country where he was then presented with the prestigious Jim Clark Trophy which is he highest accolade in New Zealand motor racing. The following season he only contested four A1GP rounds again qualifying on the front row of the grid in South Africa where he collected two 3rd placings. The final round was at Brands Hatch where a spirited come from behind drive saw him secure New Zealand’s runner up spot in the Championship.

A short campaign in the Asian Formula Renault V6 Championship netted several race wins and 2nd overall despite only contesting four of the six rounds. While contesting these various single-seater events, opportunities also arose to drive in the Australian V8 Supercar endurance events with teams the calibre of Larkham Orrcon Racing (with Mark Larkham and Alan Menu), Ford Performance Racing (with Mark Winterbottom, David Brabham, Owen Kelly and Cameron McLean), Britek Irwin Racing (with Marcus Marshall) and Brad Jones Racing (with Jason Bright). The best and most rewarding result from the V8 Supercar races was a creditable 4th at Bathurst with Bright last year.

Although Matt’s career has been moulded around single- seater racing, top level Porsche racing has been an area where he has excelled having won many races in the New Zealand GT3 Championship and Australian Carrera Cup events. He has finished 2nd overall three times in his home country despite campaigns often interrupted by A1GP racing or Champ Car testing commitments.

With backing from long standing Kiwi motor racing supporters and NZ Porsche importers, the Giltrap Group, Matt has undertaken the world’s top Porsche 911 GT3 series, The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. With races supporting Formula 1 Grand Prix rounds throughout Europe and the Middle East, exposure is high owing to live television coverage throughout Europe, America and Asia.

In his 2009 Porsche Supercup debut season he took out the Rookie Trophy for first season drivers and finished 7th overall after contesting 6 of the 12 rounds. Having completed his Porsche GT3 guest appearances in New Zealand, the main focus for 2010 was again the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in which he contested 11 of the 12 races with MRS Racing with support from the Giltrap Group and Zespri. Again he was regular top ten driver in the highly competitive 30 car filed with his best placing being 6th.

Endurance racing in Europe is now Matt’s main focus having already proven his speed in the recent Dubai 24 Hour sports car race at the wheel of a high performance Porsche GT3 Cup R in which he set several fastest lap times of the race. Matt has already been signed top contest this year’s V8 Supercar Endurance races at Phillip Island and Bathurst sharing a Ford Falcon with James Moffatt for Jim Beam Racing.