MARTIN AIMS TO TACKLE THE FOOTBALL GREATS WITH AN AUSTRALIAN CLUB
“Imagine, an Australian driver racing for an A-League football club, in a team owned and run by an Australian on the streets of the Gold Coast, up against legendary football clubs like AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, Corinthians, PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool FC.”
That is the vision of Superleague Formula driver John Martin. The 25-year-old Queenslander made an impressive debut with Scottish side Glasgow Rangers in 2009, picking up €100,000 prizemoney for his Super Final victory at Donington Park and two other podium finishes.
Despite his rookie status Martin qualified 5th for the opening race at Magny-Cours, then on the front row the following round at Zolder where he claimed his first podium, with a further podium following in Race One at Donington Park. His campaign also included seven rounds of the A1GP series in which he raced for A1 Team Australia and four guest drives in the World Series by Renault.
A football-themed race series, Superleague Formula combines the passion of football soccer and excitement of motorsport with each of the eighteen, V12-powered, 750bhp single seaters carrying the colours of some of the world’s most recognisable clubs. Currently signed up for 2010 include the likes of Italian giants AC Milan and AS Roma, Spanish sides Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, Portuguese arch-rivals FC Porto and Sporting, South American teams Corinthians and Flamengo as well as Premier League outfits Tottenham Hotspur and reigning Superleague champions Liverpool.
Now entering its third season, Superleague Formula is set to increase to 12 rounds in 2010 when it will take in a host of world-class venues across Europe. The plan however is to expand further afield with talks ongoing about the possibility of hosting races and attracting clubs from outside of the continent.
It is with these factors in mind that Martin is hoping to add an Australian squad to Superleague Formula’s prestigious football team roster with negotiations continuing between him and a number of A-League clubs.
“I will be racing Superleague Formula in 2010 and with Alan Docking Racing, the only question is which football club’s colours will be on the car?” revealed Martin.
“I really enjoyed myself driving for Rangers last season, but being an Aussie I’d obviously love to step into a racing car representing an Australian football club.”
While he would not be drawn on which clubs he was talking to, Martin did provide a hint.
“I am a Queenslander after all and there are three clubs in the State, one of which, Gold Coast United, is leading the A-League competition. But I would be delighted to represent any A-League football club.”
“Our technology and management partner, MGL Global is based on the Gold Coast and I have asked them to conduct negotiations with clubs across Australia on our behalf.”
“In the year of the FIFA World Cup it would offer a club the unique opportunity to compete on a level playing field with some of the most revered names in world football, as well as presenting an innovative approach to promoting their brand and location worldwide to an entirely new audience to that it might otherwise reach through football.”
“The A-League and football in general in Australia has grown tremendously since we qualified for the World Cup finals in 2006 and likewise Superleague Formula is growing in 2010 with a 100 percent increase in the number of rounds. Combining the two would be a win for football in Australia as well as for Superleague Formula.”
Superleague Formula’s Competition Director Robin Webb said the series would be delighted to welcome an A-League team into its participating football clubs, should they wish to join the other famous clubs from around the world with John Martin as their driver.
“Australia is an important market for the championship as not only do the people there love motorsport, but their passion for soccer is also on the increase, especially with the Socceroos having qualified for the World Cup again,” said Webb.
Martin’s Australian team owner, Alan Docking has run cars for several Australian drivers over the years, such as Mark Webber, Marcos Ambrose and Will Power in British Formula 3 and Ryan Briscoe in A1GP. Last year his team fielded five cars in Superleague Formula, including that of championship runner-up Craig Dolby (Tottenham Hotspur).
Having been involved in the series since its inception in 2008, Docking feels Superleague offers an excellent marketing strategy for an A-League club.
“In 1976 I set up a race team over here in the UK, but I am still an Australian at heart so to have an Australian football club onboard with John and ADR in Superleague would be fantastic,” he said.
“Superleague Formula is a senior level motorsport with some good, experienced drivers who have competed at the top level adding to the mix. Last year we had four ex-Formula One drivers in the series (Sebastien Bourdais, Giorgio Pantano, Antonio Pizzonia and Enrique Bernoldi) and on his day John was out qualifying them and out racing them, so that gives you an idea of the level he is at.”
With the Gold Coast still searching for a series to fill the void left by IndyCar/Champ Car at one of motorsport’s most iconic street circuits, Martin and Webb believe Superleague Formula is the ideal replacement.
“It would be the icing on the cake to have all those Australian ingredients in the mix and then race on the Gold Coast,” said Martin. “Superleague Formula would rattle the highrises like nothing else before has.”
“People are always commenting on just how good the cars sound and with the Push to Pass button raising the rev limit from 11,000rpm to 12,000rpm for 15 seconds, not only do the cars look and go fast, but we can overtake. So that provides plenty of action for the fans compared to other openwheeler series where it is quite difficult to overtake.”
The young driver’s sentiments were echoed by the series’ competition director.
“We would certainly be open to holding a race there,” confirmed Webb. “Our cars actually have Champ Car design in their DNA so they are especially suited to the demands of street circuits. Anyone who saw Superleague last season will be fully aware of the exciting, close racing it generates.”
The 2010 Superleague Formula season kicks off at Silverstone in Britain on April 3-4.
