ADAM BRESSINGTON has forsaken American muscle for the Australian variety to tackle the 2013 Touring Car Masters series which kicks this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park as part of the Top Gear extravaganza.
After a promising V8 Ute career Bressington took a sabbatical before joining the popular Historic Touring Car group, driving the ex-Steve Mason series-winning 1969 Chev Camaro and immediately made an impact.
He started the 2012 series midway through, at Sydney Motorsport Park, where he qualified fifth and finished fourth and tenth in the opening races before a mechanical issue sidelined him from the third.
Bressington will drive the Jim Morton-owned, Australian-built 1971 Holden Monaro GTS 350 and the program will be orchestrated by John “Barrell” Pachos out of his Hi-Tech Motorsport operation at Wetherill Park in western Sydney.
Morton has been a mentor for many an upcoming driver from go-karts through to V8 Supercars. More recently he had a Ford Falcon XB coupe prepared for former touring car champion Glen Seton before purchasing the Holden off Tony Hunter.
Pachos and Hi-Tech Motorsport have campaigned cars in various categories, being most successful in the V8 Ute Series, tasting championship success on no less than three occasions in the period 2007 to 2010 and also has a long-standing relationship with Bressington.
The Monaro was driven by the late Jason Richards and is the Bathurst lap record holder after the 2011 showing. The car and team combination makes for a strong contender at the opening round of the Touring Car Masters Series that kicks off this coming weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park and continues around the country to Barbagallo Raceway in West Australia, the Northern Territory’s Hidden Valley and Queensland Raceway.
Then it is back to Sydney Motorsport Park for the Muscle Car Masters, Sandown in Victoria, the iconic New South Wales country track at Bathurst, and lastly the fast and sweeping Phillip Island.
“Jim and I are old neighbours and have known each other for 20 years or more,” said Bressington. “We got talking about 2013 and him selling the car before he called me back and made me an offer to drive his Monaro with my backing.
“He shipped the car and all its spares to the Hi-Tech boys to start the upgrades and fresh engine build. It’s been all hands on deck to get the car ready in time for the first round at Top Gear – one we don’t want to miss!” he added.
“Mark Marriott Director of Bandit is looking forward to continuing the relationship he and I started last year when running the Camaro. With Bandit USA running the Kyle Busch Motorsport Toyota Camry, this is a great to link Bandit Australia doing a similar motorsport program.”
The team acknowledges the assistance of Bandit Chippers, Protector Auto glass, Engine Master, Fabre, Rams Head Service, Manley Performance, Howards Cams, AED Performance Fuel Systems, Australian Performance Machinery and Performance Wheels.