Eric Bana Joins Racing Team
Crash.Net reports that Hulk star Eric Bana is joining a racing team: "Hollywood rev-head Eric Bana has joined the Shell Helix Racing team as its official patron for the 2003 season, and will attend selected rounds, beginning with this weekend's Clipsal 50
Hollywood rev-head Eric Bana has joined the Shell Helix Racing team as its official patron for the 2003 season, and will attend selected rounds, beginning with this weekend's Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
Born and bred in Melbourne, Bana has been a fan of V8 Supercars - and, in particular, Dick Johnson Racing - since childhood, and is thrilled to have the chance to take an active role within the team over the race weekend.
"As a kid, Dick Johnson was my hero.. and to now be part of undoubtedly Australia's premier motorsport team is an absolute honour," he bubbled, "You won't catch me sipping Chardonnay with the corporates on race weekend - I'll be in the pits with the boys cleaning tyres!"
No stranger to life in the fast lane, having driven in Targa Tasmania and the Adelaide Classic, Bana is genuinely excited at the prospect of spending his free time this year at the track with the Shell Helix Racing team.
"A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have a stomach-twisting ride with Dick in the EL around Sandown and it gave me a real taste for the sport," he revealed, "I can't wait to feel that again in the new Shell Helix Racing BA Falcon."
Shell Helix Racing owner Dick Johnson reciprocated the praise.
"Normally, associations between Hollywood stars and race teams is limited to the glitzy world of F1 and Indy Car, so it's a credit to Eric that, even after his new found star status, he hasn't forgotten where he's from," DJ admitted, "I've been a fan of Eric's from the days of Full Frontal - I just wish we had him around the team last year because we certainly could have used his sense of humour in the pits after some of our more forgettable rounds!"
A relative unknown to American audiences, Bana dominated the screen in 2001's war epic Black Hawk Down, with a critically acclaimed performance alongside established Hollywood stars like Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett. This stellar performance led to his casting in the big screen adaptation of comic-book hero The Hulk - which is to be released in Australia in June - and then in the Trojan war epic Troy, where he'll star as Hector alongside Brad Pitt.