Shields signs with elite USA race team

MOTORSPORT: Toowoomba’s Cameron Shields will race in the USA this year having signed an elite team.

Shields has joined forces Newman Wachs Racing and will drive in the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

“I am very pleased to announce that I will be joining with Newman Wachs Racing ahead of the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship,” Shields said.

“Newman Wachs Racing is a very professional team, with a long history of results to back that up and I am full of confidence that together this season we can continue that trend of success with the ultimate goal of becoming the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 champions.”

Working hard over the Christmas break Shields said Toowoomba’s own IndyCar champion offered him advice about racing in the USA.

“It has been a very tough journey over the Christmas break to ensure that I could be on the grid this season,” he said.

“Without the help of my parents, Will Power, Bob Power and Charles Crews, alongside every member of NWR, there is no way I would be returning to America, so I would like to sincerely thank each of them and all NTT IndyCar Series and Andersen Promotions personnel whom I have interacted with over the last six months for the upcoming series championship.”

Shields sampled the waters in the US last September by testing an Indy Pro 2000 car at the 2018 Chris Griffis Memorial test, but found that a USF2000 car would be a better fit for this year.

“I’m very excited to have Cameron signed with the team for the 2019 season,” NWR team manager Brian Halahan, said.

“I think his racing history speaks for itself and I expect to be fighting for wins right out of the box.

“The combination of his experience and our engineer John Hayes’ knowledge should be a powerful. St. Petersburg cannot come soon enough.”