Veteran racer Sean Barnett has farewelled his long-standing career in Litre Sprintcars and is looking forward to the move into the Formula 500s class for the 2016-17 season and beyond.

After a thriving career in Litre Sprintcars, which spanned over two decades, the four-time Australian Champion decided that it was time to take on a new challenge, purchasing a Yamaha R6-powered Edge chassis late last year, which he will begin racing next season.

Following five seasons racing Compact Speedcars in the late 1980s, Barnett’s career in Litre Sprintcars began in 1994. After a decade of finding his feet in the class, Barnett, who went on to accomplish great success, claimed four Australian Titles, three NSW Titles, one Queensland Title and an incredible 51 feature-race wins overall.

While Barnett’s success in Litre Sprintcars was undeniable, at the end of the 2014-15 season, he felt it was time to step away from the class and set new goals for his future career. After over two decades of racing in Litre Sprintcars, he takes with him into his new venture, a wealth of knowledge and some life-long friends.

“The time was right to step away from the Litre Sprintcars, because I had become a bit disillusioned with it (the class) and the direction it was headed,” he explained.

“I take from my time in the class plenty of highlights, like winning four Australian Titles, which all have special meaning, and also the opportunity to compete in New Zealand – it’s been a blast.”

Looking to be a front-running contender in the 2016-17 season, the western Sydney-based racer earlier this year spent three full days working on his new Formula 500 with Jettco Developments’ Stephen Bell, to ensure he has an understanding of the machine prior to his first run. He is looking forward to travelling around the country and trying to expand on his previous success.

“I can’t wait to get out there and tackle this new challenge head-on,” stated Barnett.

“I know that this new challenge is going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to visiting new tracks around the country, learning more about the Formula 500s class and running up against a new level of competition.”

For his first Formula 500s outing, Barnett will head to Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway for a practice meeting this Saturday night (May 14).

Barnett would like to thank Stephen Bell from Jettco Developments, Jason Ryan, Marcus Kelly, Adam Fisher and Max Dumesny for all of their ongoing support.
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