James Golding. Image: Supplied
The 29-year-old is understood to have informed PremiAir Racing he won’t be returning to the team next season.
It’s believed Golding is bound for the Blanchard Racing Team, which is yet to publicly confirm drivers for either of its Ford Mustangs beyond 2025.
BRT was unable to convince veteran James Courtney to backflip on retirement plans and continue for another campaign.
It is meanwhile yet to commit to rookie Aaron Cameron, who replaced Aaron Love in the team’s CoolDrive Mustang following the opening round in February.
Golding faced an uncertain future at PremiAir – a team that provided him a career lifeline midway through the 2022 season.
He finished 16th in the 2023 standings before improving to seventh last year in a campaign that included the team’s maiden podium.
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Golding and Courtney battle it out in Sydney. Image: InSyde Media
However, the squad has slipped back in the pecking order this year, with Golding 15th – and Richie Stanaway 20th – ahead of next month’s Bathurst 1000.
GT star Jayden Ojeda and 2022 Super2 Series winner Declan Fraser have been linked to drives with the Chevrolet team.
However, PremiAir boss Peter Xiberras said at the recent AirTouch 500 at The Bend that he won’t make a final call on his 2026 drivers until after the Great Race.
Xiberras noted “there’s a smorgasbord of young, up and coming talent” that he’d be assessing in the endurance events before settling on his line-up.
Peter Xiberras and Tim Blanchard at The Bend. Image: InSyde Media
BRT boss Blanchard also insisted his plans were yet to be locked in, but suggested he was “working towards Bathurst or Gold Coast” as a deadline.
Blanchard acknowledged the need to sign an experienced driver to replace Courtney, adding that “taking two rookies is probably a big risk for where we’re at as a team.”
Golding made his Supercars debut as a co-driver at Garry Rogers Motorsport back in 2016 and contested two full-time seasons for the squad from 2018.
GRM’s exit from the championship left Golding to tackle two years of endurance-only duties at Team 18 before a mid-2022 call-up to PremiAir came amid its split with Garry Jacobson.
BRT’s driver hunt comes amid expectations it will take up a customer deal next year with Triple Eight, which will sever ties with teams including PremiAir amid its impending switch from GM to Ford.