Jonny Reid to V8 SuperTourers

Former Black Beauty A1GP ace Jonny Reid is the latest top line driver to sign up for the new V8 SuperTourer Championship.

Reid, who was runner up in both the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 A1GP Championships for Team New Zealand, will race a Ford FG Falcon V8 SuperTourer for International Motorsport alongside the team's other nominated driver Ant Pederson.

The 28 year old has enjoyed two successful years in the Porsche GT3 Cup, finishing runner up to fellow V8 SuperTourer driver Craig Baird in the 2009-2010 New Zealand Championship before moving to the Australian championship last season where he again finished runner up to Baird. Winning in V8 SuperTourers in 2012 - and in the process turning the tables on his old rival 'Bairdo' - is his major objective.

"My aim is to win races and championships whenever I get behind the wheel," he said. "I am very focused and motivated to be part of this new era of New Zealand motor racing. International Motorsport is also extremely motivated, and I am very confident we can get to grips with this brand new car and category quickly. I believe we have a real chance of winning the inaugural V8 SuperTourers championship.

"As this opportunity to drive has come around late in the day, both International Motorsport and myself are working together closely to raise the sponsorship funding to complete the full season.

"I feel very upbeat and am looking forward to testing the new car for the first time on the 10th of February. The first round is very soon after the test at Hampton Downs and I believe it will be a very competitive race. I am confident that with my experience and the International Motorsport team around me that we will be able to gather information and understand the engineering of the new car at a rapid pace and win races."

Reid has driven Australian V8 Supercars before, and famously put in a lap in the early stages of the 2003 Bathurst 1000 that was good enough to have put him on the front row of the grid in the Konica race. He also has experience in Australian GT Cars and in the Auto GP European Series which utilises the old A1 GP cars. In addition he has multiple New Zealand karting titles to his credit.