Kiwi Formula Ford champion Jordan Michels announced for S5000

New Zealander Jordan Michels has announced that he will join the Australian Racing Enterprise S5000 team for at least the first two events of 2020.

The 21 year-old is the reigning New Zealand Formula Ford champion, and will drive the ACM Finance sponsored car, run by Albert Callegher. Callegher himself is a former State Formula Ford champion and Formula Brabham racer.

Michels will enter the Australian Grand Prix and Sydney Motorsport Park rounds of the series, before choosing whether to continue.

Michels is the first kiwi to enter the S5000 championship, and it will mark his second start on Aussie soil, after entering the Queensland round of the 2019 TCR series.

Michels said “I had been planning to do TCR New Zealand but, when that got postponed, I was doing a bit of driver training work with Zak Stichbury, and literally working on the Formula Ford, when Greg [Woodrow] rang up and said he had something to talk about.”

"Next thing I know, I’m on a plane to Melbourne. It’s been an amazing 48 hours. There’s a lot to take in, but the concept of lining up at Albert Park in an S5000 car is amazing, and I’m so looking forward to getting my head around it.

“My family had an involvement in preparing the historic Formula 5000 McRae raced in NZ by Canadian Jay Esterer a few years ago, so to be stepping into the modern equivalent is real buzz. I can’t understate my thanks to Greg, GKN, and above all else Albert and ACM Finance for offering me the opportunity."

“As passionate open-wheeler fan, I grabbed the opportunity to join this terrific new formula (S5000) offered to me by the Australian Racing Group,” said Albert Callegher, team principal.

“It’s my desire to offer opportunity to and develop good young drivers through the championship and am doing so, with this being the second driver introduction to the category. 

"2020 is a learning and building year for us to present a fully-formed race team next year as I did back in the 90s era.

“In the meantime, we welcome Jordan, and Greg, to the team and look forward to a solid debut at the Grand Prix."