SUPERCARS’ wildcard season opens this weekend with a pair of cars joining the field for the NTI Townsville 500.
Namely, Aaron Seton will make his solo Repco Supercars Championship debut for Matt Stone Racing, while for Tickford Racing’s Reuben Goodall it’s his first appearance in the main game altogether.
It’s an entrée of sorts to an even bigger grid next month at Queensland Raceway, where Seton, Ben Gomersall (Tickford) and Bayley Hall (Team 18) will all be in action in addition to the 24 regulars.
PremiAir Racing too had explored a Nash Morris-driven third entry for the Ipswich Super440 before pulling the pin.
Aaron Seton will compete in a solo wildcard at Townsville and Ipswich before pairing up with Zach Bates for the enduros. Pic: Supplied
Nevertheless, 27 cars for QR represents the biggest field for a single-driver event in the Gen3 era – and indeed since the 2022 Tailem Bend SuperSprint.
Yet at the same time, Supercars is tracking towards its smallest Bathurst 1000 grid in half a decade (i.e. 2021).
As it stands, Team 18’s high-profile Supercheap Auto effort for Hall and Craig Lowndes is the only Great Race wildcard locked in, making for a 25-car Mount Panorama entry list unless any late additions pop up out of the woodworks.
The determining factor in the paradox is the presence of Super2, with Tickford and MSR rediverted resources on weekends without the second tier but unwilling to spread themselves too thin when double duties arise.
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The Undercut is back for another week, downloading a hot weekend in the Top End for Supercars!