Supercheap Auto Racing Team
The History of Paul Morris Motorsport and Supercheap Auto Racing as the two teams come together as one.
2008:
2008 promises to be an exciting year for Supercheap Auto Racing with Supercheap Auto signing on as the major sponsor of Paul Morris Motorsport. While both teams have celebrated success and reflected upon their tougher rounds throughout their V8 Motorsport careers this year promises to hold success for driver’s Russell Ingall and Paul Morris; making the Supercheap Auto Racing team a formidable force to be reckoned with.
Paul Morris Motosport History
2007:
Sirromet Wines remained principal sponsor for Paul Morris Motorsport for a sixth successive year. The team's cars switched to a white livery, after previously racing black Holden Commodores from 2002-2006.
During the off-season PMM completed a new VE Commodore for Morris to race in the championship. He and Steve Ellery again teamed up for the endurance races. They were 15th in the Sandown 500, but did not finish the Bathurst 1000.
New Zealander Fabian Coulthard started the year as Morris' team-mate and drove a VZ Commodore in nine of the opening 10 rounds, including the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst where he was partnered by Chris Pither. Tasmanian Owen Kelly took over driving duties in the VZ Commodore for the remainder of the championship.
Morris finished the championship in 22nd position. He recorded a total of 14 points-scoring results for top 15 finishes in the 37 races contested in the 14 rounds. His best race result was finishing eighth in race one of the round at Winton in Victoria.
2006:
Paul Morris Motorsport increased its staff to 29 in 2006. Recruits included Crew Chief Dick Smart, a Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) technician who previously worked with Australia’s Mick Doohan and Italian Valentino Rossi in 500cc and MotoGP world championship motorcycle racing from 1989 to 2005.
PMM prepared and maintained three VZ Holden Commodores in the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship. Paul Morris drove one of the Commodores with Sirromet Wines sponsorship. Another Sirromet Wines-sponsored Commodore was shared between Alan Gurr, Fabian Coulthard, Steve Ellery, Shane Price and Jack Perkins. Paul Radisich drove the remaining Commodore in Team Kiwi Racing colours as part of its partnership with PMM.
During 2006 PMM also prepared and maintained the engines in the Autobarn Commodore raced by Steve Owen.
Morris completed the 13-round championship in 21st position. He had four top 10 results – sixth in the Bathurst 1000 (with Steve Ellery), eighth in the Sandown 500 (with Steve Ellery), and seventh in race two of the rounds at Pukekohe in New Zealand and Queensland Raceway near Ipswich.
2005:
Paul Morris Motorsport entered into a technical partnership with Team Kiwi Racing in the off-season. PMM built two new VZ Holden Commodores for the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship, one raced by Paul Morris with Sirromet Wines continuing as principal sponsor, and the other by TKR driver Paul Radisich.
In early 2005 PMM expanded to 20 fulltime staff, and established an 'in-house' engine development program. PMM also formed a new partnership with technology solutions company Camplex, Delcam software, and installed new equipment including a $220,000 Haas Computer Numerical Control (CNC) five-axis machine.
Morris finished 19th in the championship. He qualified for the Top 10 'Shoot Out' twice during the season. His best race result was seventh in race one of the round at Hidden Valley near Darwin. He had four top 10 finishes during the season. Morris made his 100th championship start in the Bathurst 1000, but did not finish the race.
2004:
Paul Morris finished 22nd in the 13-round V8 Supercar championship with Sirromet Wines as principal sponsor. His best race results were sixth in the season-opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, and seventh in the final race of the year at Eastern Creek in Sydney.
During the season Morris had a high-speed crash at Pukekohe in New Zealand, and afterwards switched to another new VY Commodore built by his team. In some races Morris competed with an air-conditioning system in his Commodore, which was also designed and built by his team.
Morris qualified for the 'Shoot Out' four times during the year, including the Bathurst 1000. His driving performances in 2004 included an impressive opening stint at Bathurst. He led the race at one stage, and was placed in the top five throughout his 31-lap stint.
2003:
Queensland-based Sirromet Wines again sponsored Paul Morris Motorsport for a second successive year in the 2003 championship over 13 rounds. The team began the season racing a VY Commodore, converted from a VX model. During the middle stages of the championship Morris switched to driving a VY Commodore with a Holden Motorsport engine. This car was also designed and built by the team.
Morris' best result in the 2003 championship was finishing fourth at Queensland Raceway. He finished 23rd in the championship. His performances also included qualifying for the 'Shoot Out' in four rounds.
2002:
During the early months of 2002 Paul Morris Motorsports completed building its second in-house VX Commodore, which Morris raced in the V8 Supercar championship with Queensland-based Sirromet Wines as principal sponsor. The team's fulltime staff expanded, with the additions including Nigel Barclay as General Manager.
The 2002 championship was a challenge for Morris, firstly with back injuries, then missing the Phillip Island and Eastern Creek rounds after being eliminated in the pre-qualifying format. The team was competitive at Bathurst, with Morris qualifying for the Top 15 Shoot-Out, and then driving strongly in the race with team-mate Wayne Wakefield. They were second at one stage and were rarely out of the top 10 until a mechanical problem resulted in Morris crashing out after 135 laps when in seventh position.
Morris did not race in the championship rounds at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, and Pukekohe in New Zealand, because the grids were restricted to 32 cars and his series position did not warrant a start. The team's season ended with a power steering problem forcing Morris to retire from the final round at Sandown in Melbourne.
2001:
In February Paul Morris Motorsports moved to its current premises at the Holden Performance Driving Centre at Norwell, north of the Gold Coast. The facilities there include a complete fabrication area with flat plate, a machine shop with CNC lathe and mill, a network computer system, an engine room and dyno, offices for technical engineers to draw and design, and a race shop and car assembly area. The total area is approximately 800-square-metres.
The team's fulltime staff doubled to 12, with the newcomers including technical engineer Paul Ceprnich, whose previous experience included stints with works BMW touring car and sports car teams, and Stone Brothers Racing in V8 Supercars.
Morris raced a VT Commodore for most of the championship, and recorded his first V8 Supercar race and round wins at Calder Park near Melbourne. During the year the team also build its first in-house car during , a VX Commodore, which made its debut at Oran Park and was badly damaged when crashed by Mat Neal. Morris and New Zealand's Ashley Stichbury drove the VT Commodore at Bathurst, but the VX car was repaired for Morris to drive it in the final three races of the season.
2000:
In 2000 Paul Morris Motorsports took on the challenge of competing in both the BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship in a BMW 320i, and also the Shell V8 Supercar Series. The team acquired two VS Holden Commodores for its V8 Supercar commitments, one of them an ex-Holden Young Lions vehicle and the other an ex-Gary Rogers Motorsport machine.
Due to the increased workload from competing in two national championships, the team expanded to six fulltime staff and purchased a Super-Flow dyno for in-house engine development.
Morris dominated the Super Touring Championship, winning the title again with 16 race victories in the BMW. He finished 19th in the V8 Supercar series after a mid-season setback when one of the team's VS Commodores was virtually destroyed in a crash on the start-line at Sydney's Oran Park circuit. The team then upgraded to an ex-Holden Racing Team VT Commodore which Morris drove in the latter stages of the championship, and also in the 1000km race at Bathurst where he teamed up with Englishman Mat Neal.
1999:
Paul Morris Motorsports was formed in early 1999 and the team was based in a workshop premises in Southport on the Gold Coast in Queensland. The original staff comprised driver Paul Morris, team manager Greg Wooster and engine technician Arch McMurray. Morris contested the BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship in a ex-Bigazzi works BMW 320i, and won the title with 10 race victories.
Later that year Morris won the 500km Super Touring event on a rain-soaked Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. His successes in 1999 also included winning the second of two races in the Guia Touring Car Series at the international Macau Grand Prix. He was the first Australian to win at Macau since David Brabham's victory in the Formula 3 category in 1989.
Supercheap Auto Racing History
2007:
The 2007 season promised to be a season of change for PWR Racing . Paul Dumbrell joined the team replacing Greg Murphy. Two brand new VE Commodore race cars were prepared for the assault on the championship with the goal for the year to win races, challenge the top teams and finish with both cars contending for the Championship. Unfortunately major crashes and mechanical failures mean the team did not do as well as hoped.
2006:
Driver and co-founder of PWR Racing Paul Weel, retired from fulltime driving in 2006. His spot in the team being fill by Cameron McConville. Season’s results were far from expectation. 5 Major crashes left the team spending more time repairing cars than developing cars.
2005:
2005 was another great year for PWR Racing. Automotive Retailer, Supercheap Auto was signed as naming rights sponsor along with 4 time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy. The Team recorded 16 top 10 race results and a round win at Pukekohe.
