Anton De Pasquale partook in American GM driver academy trip
Chevrolet spearhead trained by ex-F1 driver Scott Speed, ex-NASCAR driver Josh Wise
De Pasquale also attended Richmond NASCAR Cup Series race
Anton De Pasquale has taken in a whirlwind trip to the United States of America as he readies himself to be Chevrolet's leading hope in the Repco Supercars Finals Series.
The 30-year-old, twice a race winner this year, flew Stateside on the Tuesday following the most recent Supercars round in Perth, completing a GM driver academy with former F1 driver Scott Speed and former NASCAR driver Josh Wise.
Wise Optimization work closely with GM's NASCAR operations, delivering driver coaching not only in the car but also for sports science, psychology, fitness, and technical training.
It will all prove invaluable for De Pasquale, who enters the Repco Sprint Cup finale in Ipswich sixth in points, some four positions and 437 points better placed than second-best Chevy driver Jack Le Brocq.
De Pasquale also visited GM's Charlotte Technical Center in North Carolina, before rounding off his trip with a journey to Richmond to take in the weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race.
“It has been a really cool trip and a great opportunity to experience the Wise Optimization program and then the NASCAR race in Richmond," De Pasquale said.
“Josh and Scott have been awesome. We’ve worked through fitness training, simulator sessions and several different driving exercises, all focused on helping me become a better driver and learning how they approach driver development over here.
“The GM Technical Centre is an amazing facility. The scale of the facility and the technology available to support GM’s racing programs is insane, and it was great to meet some of the people working behind the scenes."
De Pasquale was entrenched with Trackhouse Racing in Richmond, catching up with former Supercars rival Shane van Gisbergen as the Kiwi took another step towards a shock berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Cup.
De Pasquale added: “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at GM and Chevrolet Racing for making the trip possible and giving me this opportunity. It’s been a really valuable experience, and I’ve learned plenty that I can take back to Australia.
“Richmond was a cool way to finish the trip. I caught up with Shane before the race and then watched it unfold in the Trackhouse team pit box.
“It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I’m looking forward to getting home and heading straight to Ipswich. We’ve had a strong run of results recently, so hopefully we can carry that momentum into the weekend.”
Supercars action in Ipswich begins on Friday. Tickets are on sale now.
