Rising Australian V8 Supercar star Chaz Mostert has been signed by top New Zealand motor racing team International Motorsport to partner Ant Pedersen in the J.A.Russell Ltd #96 Ford Falcon in the three ‘enduro’ rounds of this year’s BNT V8 SuperTourer series later this year.

Though the four-round ‘sprint’ series still has one more round to run (at Taupo at the end of this month) interest is already intense in the three-round enduro ‘series-within-a-series’ which kicks off at Hampton Downs over the September 28/29 weekend and Auckland-based International Motorsport is the first of the key players to name a co-driver.

Melbourne-based Queenslander Mostert, 21, was a late addition to the V8 Supercar series grid this season but the FPR young gun is already a winner, having steered his Wilson Securities-backed, Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon to victory in the final race at the most recent round in Queensland.

Though he has holidayed here previously, September’s BNT V8 Super Tourer enduro round will be Mostert’s first race meeting in this county and the young Australian says he is definitely looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the J.A.Russell-backed International Motorsport Falcon at the meeting.

“I’ve been watching the series for the last year or so and it looks like it is pretty close and obviously Ant is doing really well this year so I’m excited to be involved.”

Pedersen has been one of the shining lights of this year’s sprint series, qualifying quickest at two of the three rounds so far held and winning the feature race at the second. And the signing of Mostert – particularly so early in the piece – is a major coup for the International Motorsport team

“It’s definitely a help in terms of our planning for the second half of the season,” says Team Manager Nick Williamson. “It’s also good for us to be building a relationship with a young driver of the calibre of Chaz who has obviously got a huge future in the sport on both sides of the Tasman.”

Last year Pedersen shared the J.A.Russell Falcon with fellow Kiwi Matt Halliday and experienced Australian V8 Supercar ace Alex Davison, with Davison and he finishing an enduro series-best second overall at the final round in Christchurch.

This season Pedersen has built on both the speed and the consistency he showed in the sprint series last year. And in Mostert he believes he has a co-driver who can help him do the same in the enduros.

“He’s quick and hungry which is obviously a good start, but he’s also proved this year that he’s a quick learner and knows his way around a car. I’m excited to share the car with Chaz and can’t wait for September to roll around”