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Adelaide young-gun locked in for Adelaide 500
SOUTH AUSSIE rising star Blake Purdie will return to S5000 at the VALO Adelaide 500, driving a Nippy’s-backed car for Versa Motorsport.
The 18-year-old joins an ever-expanding S5000 Tasman Series grid for Adelaide which includes ex-Formula One star, Giancarlo Fisichella.
Purdie made his S5000 debut in the 2021 Tasman Series, and impressed in a full-season campaign in this years S5000 Australian Drivers Championship.
Racing with Versa Motorsport, he finished sixth in the championship with a host of consistent results across the season.
His best result came at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, where he finished second in race two and sixth in the finale’ against the strongest grid ever assembled in the category.
Iconic South Aussie brand Nippy’s will again support Purdie as he fronts up on the streets of Adelaide for the first time.
He will likely face equally strong competition at his home event with the Adelaide field set to build on the impressive show put on by the category on their street circuit debut in Queensland last week.
As well as Purdie and Fisichella, more names are expected to join the existing Tasman Series field which is currently headed by S5000 regulars, Nathan Herne and Gold Star champion Joey Mawson.
Purdie’s own teammate Cooper Webster is another contender despite a challenging weekend on the Gold Coast, that saw him miss race one following a qualifying crash.
He rebounded strongly in the following two races, showing front-running pace despite starting from the back of the grid.
The VALO Adelaide 500 will be held on December 1-4 this year, with S5000 racing three times across the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the event. Tickets are on sale via Ticketek.