S5000 Team boss Albert Callegher has spoken of his ambitions to continue giving young talent an opportunity in the big leagues, having been denied the opportunity himself as a junior driver.

The 88Racing boss fielded a single-car team for 17-year-old Victorian Cooper Webster in this year’s Australian Drivers’ Championship, finishing seventh with a single win to their credit, achieved in the rain at Phillip Island.

The impressive performance came despite the team’s rookie status and Webster’s lack of experience – the young Melbournian had just graduated from Hyundai Excel racing.

Callegher was a late starter to racing, only joining the Formula Holden ranks in his mid-20s when he had already established his own business and was able to financially support his own racing.

He finished fifth in the 1993 Australian Drivers’ Championship – ironically just behind Allan Galloway, who supports rival outfit Team BRM via his ALABAR horse breeding stud.

The creation of S5000 has allowed the Melbourne-based businessman, who heads the ACMF Finance group, a chance to rekindle his passion for open-wheel racing and give other young drivers a chance to showcase their abilities at a high level.

Callegher confirmed today that his team would expand to a second car for the forthcoming S5000 Tasman Series, due to start this November at the Bathurst International.

“It gives me a lot of pleasure selecting drivers that gives them a chance to showcase their talents,” he said.

“We have a lot of interest in our second car and the driver selected will be another strong young talent which will only add to the depth of the grid.  

“Covid has restricted our planned growth, which included the opportunity to attract European and US-based drivers given our connections over there, however, they are all still there and will happen when travel becomes realistic.  

“It’s important having European or US-based drivers racing here and in S5000 and that’s a goal we’re working on. We’re expecting to have an Italian driver in our car for selected rounds in 2022, so there is great potential to add that international flavor.  

“Our team has introduced eight drivers to S5000 since 2019 and that’s something we will continue to assist in as we continue to assist in the establishment of the category.”

The privateer team owner also extoled the virtues of the category that allows for smaller teams to get quickly up to speed – something he compared to a model used by some modern Formula One teams.

“The whole task is made easy simply by the fact when the car needs a service or repairs, you can simply drop it off to GRM. That lowers the workshop infrastructure and specialist staff requirements enormously, so a ‘HAAS’ style business plan can mean the team can be quickly up and running and winning races,” he explained.

“There is a big advantage in running two cars, simply, you get double the amount of data and track time and so many overheads can be shared across two cars, making the operation more cost-effective.”

Callegher confirmed the team would run their cars in individual liveries and with stand-alone sponsorship – akin to Supercars’ squad Team 18 – with announcements on their second driver and sponsors expected soon.

Lead Photo: S5000 / Daniel Kalisz