Prancing Horse Racing sets Australian record.

In what is believed to be an Australian record, Melbourne-based specialised race team Prancing Horse Racing will field nine cars from its stable for the Cleanevent Nations Cup support races at the Foster's Australian Grand Prix starting on February 28.

Heading the field in Melbourne will be Aussie Formula One hopeful Ryan Briscoe in a Ferrari 360 Michelotto and, in tow, six Ferrari 360 Modena Challenges and two Ford Mustang RAs.

Full driver line-up includes: Ray Ayton -Ford Mustang, Steve Beards -360 Challenge, Ryan Briscoe 360 Michelotto, Hector Lestor -360 Challenge, Sam Newman- 360 Challenge, Anthony Robson -Ford Mustang, Scott Shearman -360 Challenge, John Teulan 360 Challenge and Rod Wilson 360 Challenge.

According to team owner Tony Raftis the logistics of having nine high-performance race cars ready for Australia's premier motorsport event has been mind-boggling.

"We made a commitment to all of our drivers that their machinery will be first-class and totally race-ready for the AGP," Raftis said. "For a few of our drivers, it will be their only outing for the year, so we have every intention of providing them a race car that fulfils their requirements."

"It is to the full credit of Paul Cruickshank and his team that this has been made possible. Preparing six cars for our regular Nations Cup championship rounds is a huge job but nine cars has been a mammoth effort."

PHR motorsport director and Nations Cup title contender John Bowe has decided not to take part at the AGP (where the Nations Cup races are separate from the national championship) due to his commitments with the OzEmail Racing V8 Supercar Team but has had an active part in getting the nine cars ready for action.

"I cannot remember any single race team preparing nine cars for a major motorsport event, it's just been a phenomenal effort by the guys to get them all ready," Bowe said.

"The AGP will be a good shake-down for our regular drivers like Steve Beards, Sam Newman and John Teulan, and for our other drivers it will be a super-competitive but memorable experience."

AFL legend and Channel Nine personality, Sam Newman is in discussions with PHR regarding a regular drive in the 2002 Nations Cup championship. Whilst it is not known at this stage which type of car or how many rounds Newman will compete at, the ex-football star is said to be fully committed to driving in as many as possible.