Percat leading new young talent programme
Bathurst 1000 winner Nick Percat will spearhead a new junior pathway initiative designed to help promote Australian racing talent.

Percat has teamed up with Melbourne Karting Centre owner James Sera and Australia's top junior team Sonic Motor Racing Services to formulate the programme, which is designed to bring drivers through karting and into professional motorsport.
Young drivers will receive tuition from both Sera and Percat in karting, Percat then continuing that guidance through the progression from karts to cars with Sonic.
The programme is an extension of driver tuition work Percat has been doing at Sonic since he won the Australian Formula Ford Championship with the squad back in 2009.
“I attend a lot of karting events, and the question I get asked the most by parents is, “what do I do next for my child?” said Percat.
“At the moment, there really is no clear pathway. I already do a bit of work for James at MKC, and I'm still heavily involved with Sonic, so the idea that we’ve come up is a clear, simple and real pathway for kids who want to be race car drivers.
Read Also:
“Personally, I’m motivated to help the next generation of youngsters coming through the ranks and make sure they don’t rush the steps. They need to get the fundamental rights, and this partnership will allow us to streamline that through the expertise at Melbourne Karting Centre and Sonic."
Mick Ritter, boss of the successful Sonic outfit, said Percat and Sera are the ideal people to help spearhead a pathway programme.
“A programme of this nature is something we have been working on for quite some time, but it has always needed to be with the right people,” said Ritter.
“We only want to be involved with people who have the interest of talented young drivers at heart, and I’m pleased that we have formed a great partnership with James and Nick.
“Our programme will provide a clearer path for talented young karters who are already being trained at the highest of standards at a karting level, which will make the transition and progression through the first stages of their circuit racing career both more structured and successful.
“Both James and Nick follow the same ethos about developing young talent as we do at Sonic. Effectively, we train them and give them the tools to progress to the next level.
“It is exciting to be able to align with them, and we are looking forward to bringing the next wave of karting talent into the Sonic family.”
Sonic will host an information evening regarding the programme early in the new year.
Interest can be registered by contacting the team.

Ricciardo reveals he's had Bathurst talks
Coulthard joins Team Sydney after DJR split

Latest news
New Gen3 front end to debut at Sandown
Supercars is planning to have the revised front end of its Gen3 chassis signed off following next week's Sandown SuperSprint.
Motorsport Network wins at Motorsport Australia Awards
Motorsport Network was a winner at the latest edition of the Motorsport Australia National Awards.
Major milestone for Gen3 Supercars
The Gen3 Supercars programme is set to hit a major milestone next week when a non-homologation team takes delivery of the first chassis.
New name for Wanneroo Park Raceway
Wanneroo Park Raceway, home of the Perth Supercars round, has been renamed as part of a new naming rights sponsorship deal.
Why Courtney and Tickford are a dream match
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing.
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
How Randle went from fighting cancer to battling for Supercars contention
After his fledgling career was paused by a battle with testicular cancer, Thomas Randle then had to wrestle with finding a drive in Supercars after he got the all-clear. It's been a long road for the Melbourne native but, after two lengthy battles, he's finally got a full-time drive to look forward to
How crisis talks over Supercars’ Gen3 future could leave it without a paddle
With Supercars’ Gen3 era on the horizon, a shift is set to take place – in more ways than one – but, as has become clear in recent weeks, the plan to bin the stick and use paddles with electronic assisted shift has been met with fierce opposition
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
Roger Penske's whirlwind Australian Supercars sojourn is over. After six seasons, three drivers' titles, three teams' championships and a Bathurst 1000 crown, The Captain has sold his controlling stake in Dick Johnson Racing back to the squad and walked away from the category.
Can Whincup be Triple Eight's ruthless leader?
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But does he have what it takes to be the new Roland Dane?
Why Supercars now needs a new "human salt harvester"
Scott McLaughlin has been a controversial figure in Supercars over the past few years but, as he heads off to a fresh challenge in IndyCar, the Australian tin-top series needs to find someone else to fill his drama-filled boots as the category enters a new era...