DJR Enduro Drivers Confirmed

[ROB17]

Courtney/Johnson
Luff/Webb



Jim Beam Racing has today confirmed their Enduro pairings for the 2009 Endurance Race Season. Warren Luff and Jonathan Webb will join the force of Courtney and Johnson for Jim Beam Racing?s assault on the Season of Endurance.

The paring of Luff and Webb brings both experience and enthusiasm to the team, with both drivers having previously contested endurance seasons with various V8 Supercars Championship Series teams.

Luff?s career spans over a decade with 9 Bathurst 1000 starts and 37 V8 Supercar Series starts to his name. Finishing in 11th position in a Jim Beam Racing Falcon in 2008, Luff is looking forward to again flying the team colours during the enduro season. Luff explained, ?It is a really exciting time to be with the team, they have had a strong start to the year, and are only getting stronger. I am really excited about being back with the Team and it is going to be a great place to be come enduro time?.

Luff?s experience behind the wheel includes a full time drive with Dick Johnson Racing in 2004 and Britek in 2005. He was runner-up in the 2005 Fujitsu V8 Supercars Development Series and finished in 3rd place whilst pairing with Steven Johnson at Sandown in 2004.

Jonathan Webb is known as a young gun of the V8 Supercar Series. He made his debut in the V8 Supercar Championship series racing in 2006 with Marcus Marshall in Glenfords BA Falcon at the Bathurst 1000. Whilst a DNF ensued for that particular race, Webb went onto partner John Bowe in 2007, finishing 14th in the iconic endurance race.
Graduating from Australian Porsche Cup series in 2007, Webb accepted an offer from Stone Brothers Racing for a full time V8 Supercars drive in the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Development Series. Webb finished 3rd in last year?s Fujitsu V8 Supercar Development series and has had 6 V8 Supercar Series starts. He finished in the top ten at the Phillip Island 500 in 2008 and 12th at the Sandown 500 in 2007.

Webb said, ?Jim Beam Racing is a great team to be partnered with right now. They are on top of their game and that is definitely an association I want to have. I?m looking forward to getting into the new FG at Winton ? they are an awesome car and I can?t wait to see how we work together. I?m just excited about being a part of the Team?.

Team Sporting Director Adrian Burgess is pleased with the evolution of the Jim Beam Racing Enduro Team, ?Both drivers have shown that they have the ability behind the wheel. Webb is young, fit and smart. He is super keen and knows how to place himself within a race context. Warren Luff comes to us with a world of experience and after his performance last year there was no way we were going to let him go to another enduro team. I am extremely happy with the pairing and am looking forward to getting them out into the FG?s at Winton to make all the pieces of the puzzle come together?.
Luff and Webb will both get their first hit out in the Jim Beam Racing FG Falcons during Practice Part A of the V8 Supercars Championship Series event at Winton early May. Both drivers will be available for interviews immediately after the practice session and in the lead up to the event.

 

[Stone Phoenix]

Sounds good.

Luffy seemed a shoe-in and Webb seems like a pretty fair choice.

Reckon these two should be paired together so that James and Steve can have a crack at the trophy together.

 

[ROB17]

Totally agree Stone Phoenix. If DJR want to be any chance at the trophy, it has to be Courtney/Johnson.

I think most teams will run their lead drivers in 1 car unless sponsorship commitments do not allow this i.e. The Giz/A Davison (SP Tools/Irwin Tools).

 

[Racin Jason]

A good choice I reckon! Bathurst can't come soon enough.

 

[DJR1718]

Happy with that, and I agree with Stone Phoenix, put Jnr & James in the same car.

 

[Nascar12]

Yep good decisions there, bring on the enduros!

 

[Gerry]

Yeah, gotta be SJ and JC in the same car. Luffy and Webby can finish 2nd!

 

[79maq]

Great news. Two very talented and nice blokes. My kids have met them both a stack of times and are fans of them. They even helped push Webby's car into the transporter one day. My eldest and I were upstairs of DJR Back when luffy started to steer for them and was amazed that a 3.5 yr old new every car in dick's model cabinet.
They will be well inside the top 10 for sure

 

[TS-50]

SJ and JC in 17 have to be almost one of the best chances behind JW and CL in 888 I would reckon,

bring on Bathurst.

 

[Timmy]

Good news, it will be a good enduro assault this year

 

[Dgw86]

Good parings, djr/jbr 1st at bathurst clipsal and sydney!!

 

[Dgw86]

Sorry meant enduros

 

[Maddog]

Good choice i reckon Luffy always strong. Stevie and JC be as fast as anyone at the mountain

 

[4EVER17]

Happy with that! Just hope Jc remembers it is a long race.[drive][drive]

 

[Racin Jason]

JC has done pretty good the last 3 years.

 

[TS-50]

Both Steve and James have speed on the Mountain, if they can get a reliable car on the day, and I think "The Team" can provide that, they should be up there at the finish line out front of the pack.









of course if there isn't a holden within cooee, there will be the inevitable pace car the bring them back to the field, . . . . .but with the DJR engines, not a problem.

 

[Jaguarstd]

From the V8 supercars website;

David Besnard?s endurance partnership with James Courtney is officially over, with Besnard joining Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) for the 2009 races.

Besnard is currently lined up to drive with Greg Ritter, however he may end up with either of GRM?s fulltime drivers, for the L&H 500 and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

It will be the first time that Besnard will drive a Holden in V8 Supercars and the first time he will not drive with Courtney after two years of success on the Bathurst podium.

Besnard revealed that he was planning to drive with Courtney, who switched from Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) to Jim Beam Racing (JBR) this year, until the deal fell through.

?In a sense it was frustrating; basically all the verbal agreements had been done with JBR and I had every reason to believe it was going to happen and didn?t pursue anything else,? he explained.

?I spoke to them later and they advised me they?d taken a pay driver, so I got on the phone to see what was left.?

Besnard said he still enjoys a good relationship with SBR, but that team had already filled its endurance seats.

He understands that the JBR driver switch was business related, but said it left him ?strung out?.

?It?s frustrating being on the podium of Bathurst for the last couple of years and I thought I would be sitting on the sidelines,? he said.

?I would have loved to have worked with James again because he is a good friend of mine and it works and it fits.?

But Besnard believes the eleventh-hour deal with GRM is a blessing in disguise.

?Garry Rogers? cars are very quick and I have a history with Garry,? he said.

?When I raced Formula Ford he sponsored me with a Valvoline car and we won the Championship.

?I?ve never really had the opportunity to do anything with him in V8 Supercars up until now.?

Besnard, who finished second with Courtney at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in 2007 and third last year, said the results proved he is a good driver.

?I think after being on the podium at Bathurst the last two years I deserve it,? he explained.

Besnard tested with GRM last Tuesday and described the cars as ?great?.

?In hindsight it?s probably turned out really good,? he said.

?The Valvoline cars have probably got more car speed than JBR and the results show and Garry Rogers Motorsport is a top notch team.

?(Michael) Caruso and (Lee) Holdsworth are doing really, really well and Holdsworth is a definite contender at every race.?

Besnard said a quick, straight car and sensible driving would be the key to being in contention at the enduros.

?I was right on James? times (last year) but if you?re not in the car day in day out it can be hard to find the last couple of tenths,? he said.

?We (endurance drivers) don?t need to be heroes; I think if we play our cards right and not be silly we will be in with a chance.?

Besnard is expected to take part in the practice session for endurance drivers at the Falken Tasmania Challenge next week.

Ritter will practice at the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge and they will share the practice session at Queensland Raceway in August.

Besnard is also working on his new business, the Real Deal Supercar Rides, which he launched late last month.

He bought SBR?s ride car and takes paying customers for V8 Supercar rides. Customers can have rides in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Besnard has a ride day scheduled at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria on August 4.

.
.
PAY DRIVER? - Webb?
The Valvoline cars have probably got more car speed than JBR - ??????
I was right on James? times (last year)- ??????

 

[XYGTReplica]

quote:Originally posted by jaguarstd



PAY DRIVER? - Webb?
The Valvoline cars have probably got more car speed than JBR - ??????
I was right on James? times (last year)- ??????

Good to see that I am not the only one confused by Bessy's comments. Especially the last one! 4 seconds a lap slower than James in the first stint last year.

 

[Poita]

Spoke to Webb at length at the Test Day, he is definitely not a Pay Driver. whilst not being paid or having to pay for the drive JBR will be covering his costs to compete in the enduros. The reason Besnard was not required was the Steve and James will be paired together and there would be no continuation of the partnership even if Besnard had got the drive.

In a nutshell, parts of the story above appear to be written by a sore loser.

 

[TS-50]

quote:Originally posted by Poita

In a nutshell, parts of the story above appear to be written by a sore loser.

Bessy definatly sounds sore, I reckon he knows what he's missing[lol]