Priaulx and Ekström to drive third Triple Eight at Bathurst

Three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx and two-time DTM champion Mattias Ekström have been confirmed as the drivers of the third Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden Commodore for this year’s Bathurst 1000km, featuring sponsorship from Xbox One.

Triple Eight’s third car will compete at the Bathurst 1000km event only, racing alongside the two Red Bull Racing Australia cars under the banner of the Xbox One Racing team, running with the number 10.

“There is no surprise that we love a challenge,” said Triple Eight team owner Roland Dane. “When we heard this unique proposition from Xbox to turn everyone’s most-loved racing game into a reality on-track, we knew it was too good an opportunity to pass on.

“Andy and Mattias are two of the best Touring Car racing drivers in the world today and I can promise Bathurst and V8 fans that this will be one team to watch come race day in October.”

Andy Priaulx is the 2005, 2006 and 2007 WTCC champion as well as the 2004 ETCC champion. Since leaving the WTCC at the end of 2010, Priaulx has continued to race with BMW in GT racing and as of last year, the DTM. Priaulx also won the international drivers’ award at the inaugural Gold Coast 600 in 2010, also racing for Triple Eight, then sharing the car with Craig Lowndes.

Mattias Ekström has competed in the DTM since 2001, winning the drivers’ title twice in 2004 and 2007, and has also won the Race of Champions event three times, but has so far never competed in the V8 Supercars Championship.