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Supercars team bosses back Indigenous race team

Two top Supercars team bosses and a former Bathurst 1000 winner have combined to help put an Australian Indigenous racing team on track this year.

Racing Together

Racing Together

Triple Eight Race Engineering managing director Roland Dane, Dick Johnson Racing chairman Ryan Story and former race driver and Paul Morris Motorsports owner Paul Morris have been appointed directors of the new Racing Together initiative.

Racing Together was launched in 2020 to create a pathway into professional or amateur motorsport for boys and girls of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background.

It intends to field a team in the Series X3 Queensland Championship for Hyundai Excels from later this month.

Dane, Story and Morris are the latest high profile names to back the bid joining existing directors, former RACQ CEO Ian Gillespie AM, Formula 1 steward Garry Connelly AM and Monique Connelly.

Racing Together, supported by Motorsport Australia, has drawn 10 participants initially from the Logan area, south of Brisbane, but intends to create similar opportunities in other states in coming seasons.

Its creator Connelly believes the addition of three of Australian motorsport’s biggest players will provide unrivalled experienced and motivation for the new Racing Together team.

“These young people are just starting out, but will benefit from the advice and encouragement of some of the very top names in Australian motor-racing,” said Connelly.

“We’re very grateful that Roland, Ryan and Paul have agreed to contribute their time and experience.”

Morris, who won the 2014 Bathurst 1000 alongside Chaz Mostert, has provided workshop space at his Norwell Motorplex facility to build the team’s first Excel, and will offer on-track training for 17-year-old driver Braeydn Cidoni.

“Racing Together has created the first proper pathway for motor-racing. Motor-racing develops tangible skills that will stay with these young people throughout their journey through life,” said Morris.

“I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge with this enthusiastic Racing Together team as they compete on the track and develop their race car and life skills in the workshop.”

Dane, whose Triple Eight workshop installed the roll cage in the car, is honoured to be part of the project.

“I’m honoured and excited to have been asked to sit on the board of Racing Together. Garry and Monique are superbly positioned to bring their years of experience in the sport at an international level to bear in this great project,” said Dane.

“I’m really looking forward to helping them make a difference and open doors into motorsport at all levels for the young Indigenous community.”

DJR’s Ryan Story added: "Joining Racing Together’s board is a great honour. Garry and Monique Connelly have founded a tremendous organisation and its burgeoning team of young racers hit the track for the first time only a few weeks ago.

“The responsibility to make motorsport as inclusive as possible and creating opportunities for young First Nations people not only in motorsport, but also in STEM, is something that is at the very heart of Racing Together and the priority of myself and my fellow directors."

The team’s first outing is set to be the opening round of the Series X3 Queensland Championship at Warwick’s Morgan Park circuit on 27-28 March.

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