Auckland’s Triple X Motorsport is paving a career path for aspiring young drivers to ultimately spring-board from their Porsche team having been mentored by their internationally renowned driver line-up.

That’s the intention by team owners Shane McKillen and Mike Morton, as they put in to place a stepping-stone path that uses its team’s personnel and experience to progress young race driver talent through feeder categories.

“What we’re looking for are drivers who possess the desire and capability to join our Porsche team and race alongside Craig Baird. If we can get them to that level they have the same opportunity of mirroring Craig’s 21 New Zealand titles and full-time international schedule as a professional driver,” said Auckland businessman McKillen.

“We’re using the guys our team is based around and their experience, at achieving that. Plus it strengthens our team at maintaining our hold on the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge title.”

As a starting level, the team are running 21-year-old Scott Harrison of Whangarei to debut in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup this weekend at Pukekohe.

Having graduated from a successful karting career, Harrison has raced a Mazda RX7 before he tested a Triple X Motorsport Porsche 997 at Taupo recently. Impressing engineers with his style, learning ability and outright pace, they negotiated for him to spend a season running in the one-make Suzuki class to learn race craft at a more casual pace.

“We intend to move Scott in to the Porsche next season,” says McKillen. “Once we establish what he’s learned from a season in the Suzuki we’ll have a good idea on where he fits with coping at racing at the Porsche level. If that formula works we have a template to slowly graduate drivers to work directly alongside us in the Porsche series.”

Harrison will drive car 5, the Carpet One Suzuki, at Pukekohe this weekend for the first of six rounds in the 2009/10 summer race season.

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Weekend race programme for Suzuki Swift Sport Cup – Pukekohe Park Raceway, Manukau Road, Pukekohe.

Friday 6 November

10:30 - Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - test session 1
13:50 - Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - test session 2

Saturday 7 November

11:00 - 20mins Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - qualifying
13:50 - Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - Race 1 - 10laps

Sunday 8 November

9:35 - Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - Race 2 - 10laps
13:35 - Suzuki Swift Sport Cup - Race 3 - 12laps – Reverse grid

www.xxxmotorsport.co.nz
Suzuki Swift Sport Cup Championship
Round - Date - Location
1 6-8 November 2009 Pukekohe
2 27-29 November 2009 Ruapuna
3 15-17 January 2010 Teretonga
4 22-24 January 2010 Timaru
5 12-14 February 2010 Manfeild
6 19-21 March 2010 Taupo
Endurance Event TBC May/June 2010 Hampton Downs