News Release
Bamber Aims for 1st Backed by Fogg
20 October 2009
William Bamber is anything but a dark horse in the upcoming Suzuki Swift Sport Cup motor racing series.
The Wanganui high school student, who only turns 16 this November, narrowly missed out winning the Suzuki Swift Cup Championship last summer.
Although the youngest driver in the 2008/2009 series, William scored 1,213 points, finishing only 10 points behind two times Swift Sport Cup victor Cody McMaster.
And if it is all about confidence, William starts as a hot favourite for the highly competitive saloon car championship.
Standing tall, there is no way he wants to ride the coat-tails of his now famous older brother, Earl Bamber, who at 19, has already made impressive motor sport in-roads.
“It’s up to me. I am carving my own career path,” says William who started racing go-karts at the tender age of 7 and has only recently become old enough to drive a car on public roads.
Driving the LG-ZM 1.6-litre Swift Sport entered by Suzuki New Zealand, Bamber has been selected as the first development driver for LG Motorsport. Joining team members Sloan Frost, who managed an admirable 5th place in his first NZ Superbike Championship last season, and veteran V8 driver Angus Fogg.
Auckland based Fogg, who is one of New Zealand’s most experienced drivers with a racing career spanning nearly 20 years, will mentor William Bamber throughout this season. Both a respected driver and engineer, Fogg’s role with Suzuki is to educate the Swift Sport Cup drivers and pass on his valuable knowledge.
William learnt much about race craft last summer, culminating in victory in the final round of the series. He realised the benefits of “drafting” when the evenly matched Swifts run close together, the difficulties in passing when no car has a clear advantage and the need for patience.
“Last season I learnt how to win a championship,” he says, even if the number one position remained elusive.
Bamber reckons that while the Swift is not especially fast on the straights, it is a forgiving car with great braking and is not difficult to drive at racing speeds.
“I had no idea at the beginning of last season but learnt a huge amount and now go in with a plan and can structure my campaign,” says William. “I expect the racing to be very close this season.”
His favourite circuits are Ruapuna Park at Christchurch and Taupo with its good corners and run-off areas, and he loves the hill corner into pit straight at Pukekohe.
The young Bamber is a well travelled lad; having followed some of Earl’s racing exploits around the globe. William finished third in a Spanish go-karts championship race and has also raced in Australia.
In 2007, aged only 13, he was up against 72 drivers from 50 nations in the Dubai World Karting Championships. He was third in the final of this series when he was shunted off the circuit.
Williams has a high regard for open wheeler racing cars and likes the dynamics of single seaters. While he has been watching Formula 1 races since he was four years old he believes his future lies in touring cars and doesn’t want to be a driver who takes up open wheelers and then reverts back to racing saloons.
Bamber wants to study for an engineering degree and his school, Wanganui Collegiate, is highly supportive of his motor racing endeavours. Fortunately, most of the six rounds fall conveniently outside of school terms.
William is clearly a man to watch when the televised Suzuki Swift Sport Cup roars into action at Pukekohe on November 6. No doubt a sentiment that’s shared by Bamber’s sponsors which includes LG Electronics, ZM and Punch Advertising.
…ends…
