The motor racing career of current New Zealand Formula Ford frontrunner, 14-year-old Andre Heimgartner of Dannemora in Auckland East, has received a major boost with news that he has been selected to race for the Australian based Evans Motorsport Group Young Guns Squad during the 2010 Australian motor racing season.

Heimgartner, the New Zealand Winter Formula Ford Series Champion, is currently leading the South Island Formula Ford Championship in New Zealand and is also fresh from his first podium finish in the ZOAGN NZ Formula Ford Championship in just his second round at National series level.

Heimgartner will team up with 15-year-old Australian kart racer Mathew Hart of Adelaide in the squad as they campaign a pair of the highly successful Mygale SJ08a chassis in the six round Victorian Formula Ford Championship as well as selected events of the Ford Genuine Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship.

Andre's foray into Formula Ford on the other side of the Tasman will see him experience the more powerful Ford Duratec engine used in Australia for the first time.

Heimgartner is thrilled at the opportunity. “I am happy to be joining Evans Motorsport Group and its Young Guns squad,” says Andre. “The team was one of the top operations in 2009 and they are determined to be the best in 2010. Although I don’t have a lot of experience in cars just yet, I know I’ll have the right people around me to help me develop my skills and experience. I’m sure we’ll be able to challenge for victories throughout the year!”

Evans Motorsport Group team principal Joshua Evans says his team is in no doubt about both drivers’ potential and is looking forward to creating a long and successful partnership.

“Andre and Mathew are two talented drivers and I’m certain their names will become well known in motorsport in the future. The potential they have already demonstrated so far in their young careers has the team really excited about a strong campaign in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship.”

Evans Motorsport Group was a new entry in Australian Formula Ford in 2009, campaigning two Mygale SJ08a chassis at the Sandown and Phillip Island rounds of the 2009 Australian Formula Ford Championship achieving a 4th place finish at Sandown and two 3rd place results at Phillip Island. Joshua Evans was an integral part of the Australian Formula Ford championship years of Tim Blanchard, David Reynolds, Dean Fiore and Nick Percat while he has also worked overseas, engineering Formula BMW and F3 cars in Asia, Formula Ford, Formula Renault and Formula Superleague in the United Kingdom while also working with A1 Team Australia in 2006.

The opportunity to race in Australia is a fantastic opportunity for the young Auckland driver whose career has accelerated rapidly since he advanced into the Formula Ford category. However before his Australian commitments begin Andre will be keen to contiinue his fine form in both the South Island and National Formula Ford Championships in New Zealand. His next outing is at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch this weekend in the South Island Series while his next race in the 2009/2010 ZOAGN NZ Formula Ford Championship will be at Invercargill's Teretonga Park the following weekend.

Andre's New Zealand campaign is supported by New Balance, Harmony Homes and Superlux Lighting.

Media: Lindsay Beer  Photo: SportProMedia