How the silly Supercars season is shaping up

Shane van Gisbergen’s impending move to NASCAR has sparked a remarkable rollercoaster of multiple race-winning positions.

Will Brown is now a lock to replace Van Gisbergen at the Triple Eight after Erebus announced they have given Brown an early release on his contract.

This, however, opened a vacancy for Erebus, which emerged as a force in the early stages of the Gen3 era.

Several drivers have been linked with the position, including two-time race winner Jack Le Brocq, who is out of contract with Matt Stone Racing.

Le Brocq was associated with Erebus in his young career, racing for the team in Australian GT as part of its development academy. He made his Supercars debut with the team as an enduro driver in 2015 and was in the frame for the full-time position that went to Anton De Pasquale in 2018.

Erebus also has form when it comes to promoting new drivers, having debuted De Pasquale, Brown and Brodie Kostecki in recent years.

This is linked to speculation that Super2 race winner Cooper Murray is another driver in the frame for the vacant Erebus seat.

Van Gisbergen kicked the silly season into overdrive with NASCAR’s scheduled switch

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Grove Racing is another well-funded team with an eye on the driver market, with David Reynolds linked with a move to Team 18.

Team owner Stephen Grove said during the Sydney SuperNight that the team wanted longevity in its driver line-up and was therefore looking at a long-term deal with someone.

However, there are rumors that the team may instead be looking for a short-term solution until the driver market opens up more in late 2024.

That could open the door for veteran James Courtney to sign a one-year deal with Groves so the club can target a striker in 2025.

Anton De Pasquale, who is closely involved with Groves and their GT programme, is one of the big drivers to hit the market at the end of next season.

Groves have been strategic with their contracts in the past, signing Lee Holdsworth on a one-year deal in 2022 to give Matt Payne another season of development in Super2.

Grove left the door open to another short-term deal when asked about the matter by Autosport.

Lee Holdsworth, Grove Racing Ford

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Asked by Autosport whether Holdsworth could stick around for another year, Grove said: “It depends. We went into it to win championships, as everyone does. We’re very, very focused on that.

“With Matty, he’s going really well at the moment. His development, we’re pleased. We have [junior driver] Oscar [Targett] and many more years with him. We have this piece.

“What we need to see is how we get to the championship from here. You’re right, the market will open at the end of 2024, but are there opportunities this year? Can Dave do that for us? Can we find someone else who can do it? does this

“That’s what we’re looking at now.”

Other question marks for 2024 include Tickford Racing, which is still expected to be reduced to two cars. The only lock at this point is Cam Waters, who is slated to stay put for at least another season.

MSR could be on the market depending on Le Brocq’s moves, with Cam Hill also out of contract at the end of this season but well placed to stay.

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Todd Hazelwood is also out of contract with the Blanchard Racing Team, which plans to expand if it can secure a second Teams Racing Charter.

This expansion would likely yield a main-game debut for Aaron Love, with the role of team captain still up in the air.

Second place at Walkinshaw Andretti United has yet to be decided. As first reported by Autosport, Fabian Coulthard is a key contender alongside WAU-backed Super2 talent Ryan Wood.