Speed skating champ eyes V8 Utes in 2011

Steven Bradbury is eyeing a future in the Yokohama V8 Utes Series and is a likely starter next year.

The 36-year-old ex-speed skater, famous for winning Australia’s first Winter Olympic gold medal, competed in the MINI Challenge last weekend, driving the Pizza Capers UberStar entry. He made steady progress over the weekend, improving his results in each race. He qualified 13th in the 16 car field and eventually finished the final race in seventh place.

Bradbury’s participation last weekend at Queensland Raceway has only upped his desired to compete in motorsport. He was a special guest driver in the ’10 Years of V8 Utes’ race at the Clipsal 500 in March and told Speedcafe.com.au that he is close to locking away a deal to race in that class full-time next year.

“I’m working towards that for 2011,” he said of his V8 Ute plans.

“I’ve got a couple of irons in the fire to hopefully get some sponsorship for the Utes Series.

“I almost had a fully-backed drive for the 2009 series, but the financial crisis took it away at the last moment but that’s a familiar motorsport story from 2009.

“I raced in the Ute Series for the first time at Clipsal in March, and I enjoyed it. I was kind of surprised with where I was at, fitting into the pack. I’d never been to the track and I hadn’t done many laps in the cars. To run mid-pack was kind of encouraging.”

For more with Steven Bradbury CLICK HERE for today’s Café Chat …