Bathurst winner Percat to judge new talent search programme

The Brad Jones Racing driver will join the judging panel for the Arise Racing Driver Search, the winner of which will score a free ride in the state-level West Australian Formula 1000 series for the 2020 season.

Second and third places will get subsidised drivers to the tune of 75 and 50 per cent respectively.

Percat is no stranger to giving back to junior motorsport, regularly engineering young drivers in the Australian Formula Ford Series.

He says judging the Arise programme is another way he can help future-proof the sport.

"If there's not drivers following in the footsteps of the Jamie Whincups and Scott McLaughlins, then this sport that we all love doesn't have a future. We need to try and help groom the next generation and share our knowledge," said Percat.

"I was very fortunate when I joined Walkinshaw Racing as a young driver that I had the likes of Garth Tander, Will Davison, David Reynolds and Fabian Coulthard and James Courtney helping me out. I realised then how important that guidance is.

"So for me to be able to give back to the young drivers coming through is very cool. It's something I dreamed of when I was a kid in karting. I enjoy helping out as much as I can.

"If I'd had the opportunity out of karting to enter a competition to win a funded season in any sort of racing car, I would have jumped at it. It's impressive what Arise is doing.

"The fundamentals of how they go about the business, with using data and having such good driver coaches, the whole package is so well rounded. I'm really happy to be involved in it."

Participants will complete 20 laps aboard a Radical sportscar, with Percat and his fellow judges marking them on a number of criteria including technique, processing feedback , speed and consistency and media savviness.

The first round will take place on July 22, with the best 15 going through to a second round. A final five will then fight it out for the major prize at a third round in November.