Exciting Changes at TFM Boost Chances for Phillip Island   21 May 2015

Trass Family Motorsport

Exciting Changes at TFM Boost Chances for Phillip Island 101 Glory

Auckland, New Zealand, 21st May 2015 – Trass Family Motorsport, New Zealand’s Ferrari racing team, are excited to welcome Graeme Smyth to its driver line up and a new partnership with The Tool Co. ahead of round two of the Australian GT Championship this weekend at Phillip Island.

Smyth, 23, will make his third start for TFM in its freshly rebuild Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 alongside Pro driver Jono Lester, 25, for the 101-lap endurance race at the famous seaside circuit.

Having juggled pole position, podium finishes and a large accident at the season opener on the streets of Adelaide in March, TFM still sit in third place overall in the points standings. The all-Kiwi team aims to improve on this standing with a youthful driver pairing that have a genuine shot at victory this weekend.

The strongest ever assembled grid of 35 cars will line up for the event including several stars from the V8 Supercars championship.

Powering the TFM team for the Phillip Island 101 and its entire Australasian motorsport programme will be The Tool Co, NZ’s supplier of Laser Tools and other quality UK brands, including new addition Sealy. This new partnership adds an exciting new dynamic to the team moving forward.

The Tool Co are the Official Tools of Trass Family Motorsport, and will be a key component in the team’s performance on the track, and in the garage.

Practice for the Australian GT Phillip Island 101 commences on Friday with qualifying and the 101-lap endurance race on Saturday, May 23. The race will be streamed live online at www.motorsportstv.com.au as well as via the MotorsportsTV app for Apple and Android devices.

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JONO LESTER / Driver – TFM Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #27

We have a renewed team environment for Phillip Island and I believe we can eclipse the speed we demonstrated in Adelaide. The #27 Ferrari is fresh, the team are hungry and Graeme is already a known and praised quantity within our midst. I look forward to challenging for TFM’s first Australian GT win with him this weekend.

GRAEME SMYTH / Driver – TFM Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #27

I’m really excited to be joining TFM once again. Phillip Island will be another new track for me to learn but with a refreshed car and good team behind us I’m confident we can realise the potential we’ve shown since day one.

GERALD TRASS / Team Principal – Trass Family Motorsport

TFM is pleased to welcome Graeme Smyth to our line up for Phillip Island. Graeme proved very competitive at the Bathurst 12 hour and shows a lot of maturity for a young driver. Together with Jono Lester, we are looking for a one-two finish for Ferrari at Phillip Island.

ANNE BOOTHROYD / Marketing Director – The Tool Co.

As a young, Kiwi owned tool company, we are thrilled to be a key part of the rise of TFM. Our tool brands have 30+ years manufacturing experience, so they are the perfect choice to keep TFM’s prancing horses performing at their best.

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Trass Family Motorsport is supported in its 2015 Australian GT campaign by key partners including Cumulo9, Continental Car Services: Official Ferrari Dealer, The Tool Co, CRC, Vortex Racewear, iSign It, Pixelsaurus and Broderick Printing & Design.

More details about TFM can be found on the team’s Official website at www.tfmotorsport.co.nz, using the hashtag #PrancingKiwis, or by following ‘Trass Family Motorsport’ on Facebook and @tfmotorsport on Twitter.

More details about The Tool Co can be found at www.thetoolco.nz

ENDS


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