Rosenberg confirms Stone Bros deal.

New V8 Supercar Racing Entitlements Contract owner James Rosenberg has confirmed a partnership that will see Stone Brothers Racing prepare and run a Ford FG Falcon on his behalf during the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The James Rosenberg Racing Falcon will be driven by Tim Slade, who will tackle his second V8 Supercar Championship season after this year driving for Paul Morris' Supercheap Auto Racing team in a Holden Commodore. The car will be run alongside the existing #9 SP Tools FG Falcon of Shane van Gisbergen and the #4 IRWIN Tools FG Falcon of Alex Davison from the team's Queensland base.

Next season will mark the first full-time V8 Supercar Championship return for Rosenberg since he set up the John Deere Racing team, with driver Mark Poole, in the late 1990s, but the decision to partner with SBR was a simple one thanks to its on-track record as one of the most successful V8 Supercar teams of the past ten years.

The association will allow James Rosenberg Racing to remain an independent commercial entity, with its own branding, sponsors, media and corporate activities, whilst ensuring a competitive on-track product thanks to the Stone Brothers professionalism and past success.

"I looked at plenty of other operations to place my team with, but Stone Brothers Racing was clearly a stand-out," Rosenberg commented, "Their track record speaks for itself and their level of professionalism is very high. Our business philosophies are very much the same and that has made the entire process of this arrangement very easy and trouble-free to lock in place.

"This will be the first time I have ever had a heavy involvement with a V8 Supercar that doesn't have a Holden badge on it, so that will take some getting used to! I've been a Holden man all my life but it's not every day you get the chance to run with a team like SBR - so I took the opportunity while I could.

"I have had a long involvement in motorsport and the time has come to take it to the next level. With the current strength of V8 Supercar racing in Australia, the game is a lot stronger and tougher than it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"Thanks to the strong management structure we have in place at the Rosenberg Machinery Group, I will be able to dedicate my time to the management of the racing operation and ensure that it is successful - both on the track and commercially.

"I'm very pleased to have Paul Cruickshank on board to assist with the commercial side of the business. He has a successful track record of brining sponsors into the sport and then servicing them well. This will give us a solid platform to approach potential sponsors with.

"This is also a big opportunity for Tim Slade to truly cement his place in V8 Supercars long-term and I am very pleased to be able to continue to support his racing career. I would also like to thank Paul Morris and his team for their support over the past year as they have been excellent to work with.

"2010 will be a big season and there is a lot of work ahead of us to get all the pieces in place, but I am looking forward to the challenge."

Former REC-owner Cruickshank will remain involved in a commercial capacity and is currently in discussions with several potential major sponsors for the car. The entry will be branded and raced under the banner of a major sponsor in 2010.

Gawler Farm Machinery, which has notably backed under-funded talent in the national F3 series, will have commercial input into the team and its well-known branding will appear on the car.

"It was difficult from a commercial point of view for me to stay at my current team, because they had a sponsor coming on board for their second car and they wanted someone higher profile," Slade admitted, "It would have been nice to stay, but I'm thankful to Paul Morris and Supercheap Auto Racing for giving me the opportunity this year.

"I don't think it's a step backwards because it's a great opportunity to be in a third car at Stone Brothers Racing. They have had pretty good speed all of this year and I know Ross and Jimmy are pretty hungry again to have some success like they have in the past. I'm excited about it all.

"I've had a long relationship with James now. His involvement in the sport steps up year on year and he couldn't have a bigger investment than he does now. His support for me for another year is fantastic. He's been a big part of my career and it's great to take another step forward in the sport as he does."

Further details about the team's racing and commercial operations will be announced in due course.