Image: Nathan Wong

LAUREN GRAY MOTORSPORT will draw on some local youthful exuberance when it tackles the Dial before You Dig Australian Six-Hour at Eastern Creek Raceway on July 18.

The team has signed 18-year-old local racer Jake Williams to partner Lauren Gray in the same Toyota Corolla Sportivo that earlier this year finished 19th in the Armor All Bathurst 12 hour.

The Cromer (NSW) resident has a long resume of competition in local motorsports, primarily in motorcycle competition.

A switch to racing cars has brought success in the NSW State Hillclimb titles and also the local HQ state series.

The well-credentialed youngster is also a high achiever out of the cockpit having excelled in sports including Soccer, Rugby and Swimming, and also in raising funds for charity.

He recently raised $22,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service after riding a postie bike across the Simpson Desert – the first person to do so.

The six-hour will be his first national level motorsport event but he joins an LGM team confident of their performance and reliability after several strong runs in this year’s Australian Manufacturers Championship.

“We’re excited to have Jake on board for the six hour, we think it gives us a very strong team,” Lauren Gray said.

“It’s nice to be able to give a new driver a break at a National level. He has a hugely impressive resume both in and out of the car and we’re confident he’ll fit right in with the Lauren Gray Motorsport team.”

After suffering handling issues at Phillip Island in the most recent round, Gray is confident the team has the Corolla fully sorted and set to tackle the high-speed 3.9km Eastern Creek layout.

“We had balance issues at Phillip Island but since then we’ve spent a lot of time getting the car sorted,” she said.

“The team is the same as at Bathurst this year and everyone is working really well together. The car is ready and so is the team – and I can’t wait to get back in the car - so we’re all extremely excited to be going to Eastern Creek.

“The aim is to have a strong run, be consistent, and make sure that everyone has an enjoyable event. If that happens then the results will take care of themselves.”

 The Dial before you Dig Australian Six Hour will be held at Eastern Creek Raceway on July 17-18, and is set to feature a full field of production cars in its first year.