Sponsor close for Percat Commodore

A naming rights sponsor for Nick Percat’s 2014 V8 Supercars Championship campaign could be secured as soon as next week.

Percat made an impressive main game debut as a solo driver in the injured James Courtney’s brand new Holden Racing Team Commodore VF at last weekend’s Sydney NRMA Motoring & Services 500.

Next year he will race a fourth Walkinshaw Racing Commodore underpinned by the Racing Entitlements Contract (REC) of veteran motorsport patron James Rosenberg.

For Rosenberg, the prospect of major commercial backing for the car is good news as he has committed to top-up the budget if necessary for his fellow South Australian’s debut season.

“If there is a shortfall I have to fund it, it’s as simple as that,” Rosenberg revealed to v8supercars.com.au this week. “I have taken the punt but I think we will do alright.

“We are working very hard to get a budget and we have some good irons in the fire. Even in this market I think we will get close to budget. 

“I am hoping in the next week will have naming rights sponsor.”

The shift from Erebus Motorsport to Walkinshaw Racing and Percat ends Rosenberg’s long-term backing of Tim Slade, which started when he was 18 and continued for 10 years. Rosenberg has owned a REC since late 2009 when the duo joined Stone Brothers Racing (SBR).

The relationship came to an end because Slade signed on for 2014 to replace Russell Ingall in the Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore run out of Walkinshaw Racing stable.

Rosenberg only joined Slade as part of the Clayton operation in November when the Percat deal was done.

“I have always followed young Percat and with Slade moving on I thought it would be a good fit,” Rosenberg explained. “I spoke to Holden about two options and they certainly indicated they preferred Percat to stay.

“There were good reasons offered for Percat to stay and there were incentives offered for that to happen, so I was comfortable with that.

“I think he deserves this opportunity and everyone thinks that. Time will tell whether he fits the bill. I believe he will; otherwise I wouldn’t be taking him on.” 

Although they did the deal beforehand, Rosenberg did not meet Walkinshaw Racing chairman Ryan Walkinshaw – who only revealed his desire to add a fourth car to his stable for Percat in October – until the Sydney NRMA Motoring & Services 500. 

“He showed a lot of interest with phone calls trying to get me onboard. My dealings were primarily with (Walkinshaw Group) CFO Ivan Krizman and he impressed me as a real good straight shooter. I also get on fine with their commercial manager Bruce Stewart.”

Rosenberg revealed that the shift of former SBR commercial manager Chris Wilson from Erebus to Walkinshaw Racing had helped him make his decision.

“That is the main reason I went, the fact they had employed Chris – them not me. I have an enormous amount of time for Chris. Both he and Bruce are good guys.”

Rosenberg expressed some regret with the ending of the relationship with Erebus, which subsequently announced it would not replace his departing REC and will run two rather than three Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMGs in 2014. With an as yet unannounced driver joining Lee Holdsworth in the team, German rookie Maro Engel loses his drive.

“I did state all along that I would stay at Erebus if there was an opportunity, but that wasn’t forthcoming,” said Rosenberg.

Rosenberg’s Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars involvement dates back to 1995 when he bought a Holden Commodore VP for South Australian Mark Poole to race under the Gawler Farm Machinery banner.

“I enjoy motorsport and my wife does too,” Rosenberg said. “I am very lucky that I am in motorsport because I have been successful in the business world and that’s allowed me to do this.”