V8 Supercars: Thexton out, WPS bring Noske in

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WPS Racing Acquires Second License As Thexton Calls It A Day

Release Date: 05/05/2004

WPS Racing is on track to have two cars compete in the fourth round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series after team owner Craig Gore today confirmed the purchase of the Thexton Motor Racing (TMR) license.

The deal, which sees Gore acquire David Thexton’s Class Two license, opens the way for WPS Racing’s Mark Noske to make his 2004 series debut at Hidden Valley in Darwin next month.

Noske will join David Besnard to complete the two-car WPS Racing team.

Thexton has immediately stood down from V8 Supercar racing and is considering a career in the Porsche Carerra Cup series.

He said the decision to step down and sell the license ended a difficult transition from rally car driving into the V8 Supercar series.

“Prior to joining the Supercar series I had no track experience and I was competing against guys with substantial experience in the class or guys who had been successful in other classes of track racing,” said Thexton.

“My times have been improving at each start but the new regulations allow for only a handful of test days a year and they state that you have to qualify within 5% of the fastest car’s time to compete.

“It meant that last year I only got five starts in the Supercars and when you are in the business to race that is not enjoyable.

“So after (round two at) Eastern Creek I decided that I had given it my best shot and I made the decision to pursue another class of racing where I can get in a give it a go in each race.”

Thexton said his team was highly experienced and had ‘moved heaven and earth’ to provide the right equipment to support him, but his progress ‘was not fast enough to carry on’.

He is now seeking to sell his Supercar assets, which include a new BA that was completed prior to the opening round in Adelaide.

Gore said he was relieved to have secured the TMR license as it allowed WPS Racing team drivers David Besnard, currently 17th on the championship table, and Mark Noske to focus on racing.

“Bezzy has driven the first three rounds for us and has really put WPS Racing on the map,” said Gore.

“But at the same time we had to make a difficult decision about who would drive our first car.

“The second license relieves that pressure and now both Bezzy and Nosk can get out on the track and prove themselves.”

WPS Racing, under the instruction of the experienced trio of engineer Ian Walburn, team manager Keith Evers and general manager Charlie O’Brien, has been preparing the team’s second Ford Falcon over the past month.

“We have been anticipating for some time that the second license was just around the corner so we will be well prepared come the first race as a two-car team,” said Gore.

The terms of the license purchase remain confidential.