Norton 360 Racing has finalised its endurance driver line-up for the 2013 V8 Supercars Championship, confirming the signing of young guns Taz Douglas and Daniel Gaunt to the Nissan Motorsport squad.
Douglas will partner James Moffat in the #360 Norton 360 Racing Nissan, while New Zealander Gaunt will drive alongside Caruso in the #36 entry at the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 600.
“I’m really excited to have Dan Gaunt alongside me in the #36 Norton Altima,” Caruso said.
“He has been doing a lot of driving at Sandown and Bathurst over the past few years, and we’re a similar height, so all those little things help in the endurance races.
“By the time we get to Bathurst, I think we’ll have a really good opportunity. The Altima is handling well, and it seems to enjoys high-speed circuits, so I can’t wait to get to the Mountain and strangle the life out of the car there.”
Gaunt said driving for a factory team was a great opportunity.
“The height thing is a big factor in the endurance races,” Gaunt explained. “We’re roughly the same stature, so I can’t wait to have a skid in the Altima.
“I haven’t driven one of the new-generation V8 Supercars yet, but from what I’ve heard, there are a lot of similarities to the old cars and a lot of changes as well. Apparently, the differences are similar to the V8 SuperTourer that I’ve been racing in New Zealand for the past year, so hopefully there’s no major transition phase. It should just be a matter of getting up to speed and learning how Michael likes the car.”
Both Douglas and Gaunt will be race fit for the two-driver events as they are both competing in the Dunlop Development Series this year, driving for rival Ford teams.
Moffat was equally happy with his pairing.
“I’m really happy to have Taz with me in the season of endurance. I think he’ll be a really good fit on our side of the garage at Norton 360 Racing – not only for Sandown and Bathurst, but for the Gold Coast as well,” The #360 primary driver said.
“Taz and I have been mates for a while now. I was actually his mechanic for the 2005 Victorian Formula Ford Series. We’ve known each other for a long time and I’m sure he’ll fit in.
“Naturally, we want to go as well as we can and it’s fair to say that not many will consider us outright contenders. If we can sneak along, stay out of trouble, we should be able to get some positive results across the three races.”
Douglas echoed Gaunt’s feelings about contesting the enduros with a factory team and is looking forward to representing Nissan at the upcoming events.
“Whenever you can drive for a factory team, it’s exciting, and for me, it’s my first time with a factory V8 team, so it’s a dream come true,” Douglas said.
“It’s also Nissan’s first time back at Bathurst, so it will be great to be a part of it.
“I don’t like to put expectations on things. Moffat has been going really well in the Championship so far, and the Nissans have been showing better speed than what many have expected. I think with our experience together, there’s no reason why we can’t achieve solid results.”
Douglas praised the inaugural Enduro Cup format, recognising the highest scoring driver/s from the Sandown 500 (September 13-15), Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 (October 10-13) and Armor All Gold Coast 600 (October 25-27).
“The Enduro Cup is a new thing this year. It’s a good initiative for guys like myself to aspire to (win),” Douglas said. “We get to race at the Gold Coast as well, and I raced there last year, so I think that will hold me in good stead.”
The Norton 360 Racing endurance drivers will have the opportunity to drive the Nissan Altimas during test days leading up to the endurance races, as well as ‘co-driver’ practice sessions at Townsville, Queensland Raceway and Winton’s V8 events.
