James Penrose to race for Castrol in Oceania series
Kiwi James Penrose will race for title sponsor Castrol in the 2023 Toyota Formula Regional Oceania series.
James Penrose with the Castrol Toyota FT-60. (Callum Crawley/Toyota GAZOO Racing New Zealand)
The 26-year-old won the role of Castrol Ambassador for the 2022 New Zealand Grand Prix but was unable to compete due to New Zealand's COVID-19 restrictions.
Penrose beat out the field of 65 drivers in a competitive selection process, adding the role to his National and South Island Formula Ford titles.
“I’m immensely excited to compete in the 2023 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship,” said Penrose.
“The series has been world-renowned for years and I expect this season to be incredibly competitive as the field of drivers is very talented."
Penrose will drive for Kiwi Motorsport in the Castrol-branded FT-60.
“Castrol is an iconic brand and synonymous with motorsport, so I feel privileged to be partnered with them and Kiwi Motorsport for the season."
"Additionally, an enormous thank you goes to my personal sponsors for helping me make the grid for the season."
"My main focus will be to learn the car and extract speed out of myself and I hope to find my pace strong enough to compete with the front runners”.
The 2023 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania series runs for five consecutive weeks beginning 13-15 January.
