{"id":130185,"date":"2025-09-09T12:24:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/130185\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T12:24:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:24:12","slug":"supercars-news-surprises-loom-as-driver-market-silly-season-unfolds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/130185\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercars news: Surprises loom as driver market silly season unfolds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Supercars
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Supercars class of 2025. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n

With the heavyweight squads having already locked in their drivers, all eyes are on the musical chairs in the second half of pit lane.<\/p>\n

The biggest moves are expected at Queensland-based GM teams PremiAir Racing and Matt Stone Racing, where double driver changes are looming.<\/p>\n

PremiAir is understood to have lined up Jayden Ojeda and Declan Fraser as replacements for current duo James Golding and Richie Stanaway.<\/p>\n

WAU co-driver Ojeda is likely to dovetail a maiden full-time Supercars campaign with international GT3 commitments for Mercedes-AMG.<\/a><\/p>\n

Known as \u2018Juice\u2019, the 26-year-old Ojeda already has considerable Supercars experience in co-driver and wildcard outings, as well as two Super2 seasons and a single Super3 campaign.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jayden Ojeda (right) drove for Erebus in 2024. Image: Erebus Motorsport<\/p>\n

For Fraser, 24, it\u2019ll mark a return to full-time main game duties. He contested the 2023 championship with Tickford Racing, losing his ride when it scaled back from four to two entries.<\/p>\n

The 2022 Super2 Series winner is currently preparing to line-up in the Enduro Cup as a co-driver for Brad Jones Racing for the second straight year.<\/p>\n

The only expected full-time vacancy at BJR in 2026 has already been filled by current Matt Stone Racing driver Cam Hill, who is set to replace Bryce Fullwood in the #14 entry.<\/a><\/p>\n

MSR is poised to welcome back Jack Le Brocq next season following two years at Erebus Motorsport.<\/p>\n

The identity of Le Brocq\u2019s 2026 teammate is less clear, with BJR refugee Fullwood and Triple Eight wildcard Zach Bates among others linked to the team.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s widely believed MSR intends to part ways with Nick Percat<\/a> in a surprise development after the parties signed a three-year deal midway through 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, David Reynolds appears increasingly likely to remain at Team 18 for another season<\/a>, despite the presence of Porsche star Harri Jones in its co-driver line-up.<\/p>\n

\u2018Just the formality\u2019: Reynolds gives contract update<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

There are now precious few seats available for displaced drivers \u2013 or emerging talent \u2013 to fall into.<\/p>\n

Top slots at Triple Eight (Will Brown, Broc Feeney), Grove (Matt Payne, Kai Allen), Tickford (Cam Waters, Thomas Randle) and WAU (Chaz Mostert, Ryan Wood) are all locked in.<\/p>\n

Dick Johnson Racing has insisted veteran Will Davison is safe alongside Brodie Kostecki, <\/a>albeit without a formal announcement having been made.<\/p>\n

Andre Heimgartner, Macauley Jones and Jaxon Evans are all expected to stay on at BJR, with Jones having already been part of initial Toyota Supra testing.<\/a><\/p>\n

Erebus has its academy drivers Jobe Stewart and Jarrod Hughes as potential replacements for Le Brocq alongside Cooper Murray, with the former currently the favourite to land the seat.<\/p>\n

That leaves the Blanchard Racing Team, which does not currently have a driver confirmed for either of its entries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Young gun Aaron Cameron, who joined the squad in place of Aaron Love after the opening round this year, has made his case to stay \u2013 and will likely need an experienced teammate alongside.<\/p>\n

BRT is believed to want James Courtney to return for another campaign, but the veteran has given no sign he intends to backflip on retirement.<\/p>\n

The Melbourne-based Ford squad\u2019s options are understood to include Golding, who finished in the top 10 of the championship last year with PremiAir.<\/p>\n

Stanaway and fellow Bathurst 1000 winner Percat meanwhile face uncertain futures heading into the Endurance Cup, where a host of young guns are looking to make their mark.<\/p>\n

They are led by Tickford wildcard Rylan Gray, who lamented the cyclical nature of the Supercars silly season<\/a> following his latest Super2 Series round victory at Ipswich last month.<\/p>\n

2026 Supercars Championship<\/p>\n

Triple Eight (Ford)
Will Brown, Broc Feeney<\/p>\n

Grove Racing (Ford)
Matt Payne, Kai Allen<\/p>\n

Tickford Racing (Ford)
Cam Waters, Thomas Randle<\/p>\n

Walkinshaw Andretti United (Toyota)
Chaz Mostert, Ryan Wood<\/p>\n

Dick Johnson Racing (Ford)
Brodie Kostecki, Will Davison<\/p>\n

Brad Jones Racing (Toyota)
Andre Heigmartner, Cam Hill*, Macauley Jones*, Jaxon Evans*<\/p>\n

Team 18 (GM)
Anton De Pasquale, TBD<\/p>\n

Matt Stone Racing (GM)
Jack Le Brocq*, TBD<\/p>\n

PremiAir Racing (GM)
Jayden Ojeda*, Declan Fraser*<\/p>\n

Erebus Motorsport (GM)
Cooper Murray, TBD<\/p>\n

Blanchard Racing Team (Ford)
TBD, TBD<\/p>\n

*expected but unconfirmed\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Supercars class of 2025. Image: InSyde Media With the heavyweight squads having already locked in their drivers,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130186,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,806,805,803,804,12357,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-130185","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-motosport","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-motor","11":"tag-motor-sports","12":"tag-motosport","13":"tag-motosports","14":"tag-slot1","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}