Marshall joins GRM

MARCUS MARSHALL will pay homage to the very beginnings of his career when he joins GRM for the Bathurst and Phillip Island enduros this year.

On Monday GRM confirmed Marshall as its second enduro driver alongside Greg Ritter, but it is unclear who Marshall will race with out of Lee Holdsworth or Michael Caruso.

Marshall has driven for GRM before. In 2002, he drove a GRM-prepared Van Diemen in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, but he has never driven a GRM V8 Supercar. Rogers told AA that he had been watching Marshall since the beginnings of his career.

“We looked at who we thought could do the job and who we thought couldn’t do the job, and we decided that he was the man for the job,” Rogers told AA.

“Way back when we were in the Formula Ford business, we looked after him in his more junior days. I’ve watched him since then. I know he went overseas and all that Indycar stuff, and I don’t suppose his time with Craig Gore was his happiest time, but life goes like that.

“Sometimes you make moves that you think is your best one but it doesn’t necessarily go your way. That happens in all forms of life.”

Marshall’s signing at GRM represents an unofficial driver swap with Dick Johnson Racing. Marshall raced for DJR at the enduros last year and David Besnard, DJR’s 2011 enduro signing, was an enduro driver for GRM in 2010.

Marshall’s appointment at GRM all but seals up the 2011 enduro driver silly season. Just one spot is left – alongside Tony D’Alberto at Wilson Security Racing. D’Alberto told AA he would lock-in his enduro driver next week.