Ford Rising Stars Racing has announced that it will graduate to the V8 Supercar Championship for the 2008 season.
The team, which has spent the last four seasons competing in the V8 Development Championship, has secured backing from mining company Ausdrill for its debut campaign and is set to run its Ford Performance Racing-prepared Falcon for the first time in the second round of the year at Eastern Creek.
“Our goal has always been to progress to the main game and we have formed some strong commercial partnerships to allow this to happen,” team owner Jim Morton said. “Last year we began a relationship with Ford aimed at developing future V8 Supercar talent. We have also contracted Ford Performance Racing to prepare the car for us so we have a solid technical base. Our flagship commercial partner is new to the sport and is mining entity, Ausdrill.
“Ford Rising Star Racing's background in motor sport is from karting and many of the drivers we have mentored over the years are now in V8's including James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom, Jason Bright and Michael Caruso. Our move up to the main series will again be with a young driver new to V8's.”
The team's Falcon will be driven by 22-year-old Michael Patrizi, who will return to racing on home soil for the season ahead.
Patrizi, a champion in the Australian Karting Championship earlier in his career, has spent recent seasons racing overseas – most recently in the F3 Euroseries where he finished 18th in the standings.
![Michael Patrizi - DPR [pic credit: BAM media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/274028.jpg)
