{"id":268066,"date":"2025-11-07T05:01:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T05:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/268066\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T05:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T05:01:16","slug":"driver-moves-team-changes-for-new-season-as-toyota-makes-instant-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/268066\/","title":{"rendered":"Driver moves, team changes for new season as Toyota makes instant impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supercars<\/a> has seen a wave of changes in the final run to the end of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Rookies and veterans alike have announced team changes and with Toyota joining the field in 2026<\/a>, the are plenty of unknowns for how the season will unfold. <\/p>\n

In the last month alone, David Reynolds was retained by Team 18<\/a>, Nick Percat retired<\/a>, SCT Motorsport shifted to Triple Eight<\/a>, and PremiAir Racing announced Jayden Ojeda and Declan Fraser<\/a> in a double driver change.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

The 2025 Supercars grid. \u00a0Supercars<\/p>\n

Richie Stanaway was also axed<\/a> and rising star Zach Bates now moves into the second Matt Stone Racing seat after a commanding enduro season with Craig Lowndes in the Triple Eight wildcard drive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, just one seat is left with Blanchard Racing next to James Golding. Let’s break down who is driving for each team next year in Supercars. <\/p>\n

Triple Eight Engineering<\/p>\n

The main team at Triple Eight Engineering is unchanged, with championship leader Broc Feeney<\/a> and reigning champion Will Brown<\/a> at the helm.<\/p>\n

\"Broc<\/p>\n

Broc Feeney drives the Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro during the Bathurst 1000.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

The team will be changing codes though, defecting to the Blue Oval for the 2026 season onward<\/a><\/p>\n

This comes with the addition of SCT Motorsport under the Triple Eight garage, with rookie Jackson Walls coming on board.<\/p>\n

Grove Racing<\/p>\n

Bathurst 1000 victor<\/a> Matt Payne will again stay with Grove Racing alongside Kai Allen, the two looking to capitalise on the unchanged dynamics in the garage to continue their recent success.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/p>\n

Matt Payne and co-driver Garth Tander. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

PremiAir Racing<\/p>\n

The biggest change on the grid is at PremiAir Racing with an all-new line up consisting of Declan Fraser and Jayden Ojeda.<\/p>\n

The team parted ways with Richie Stanaway two races before the end of the 2025 season and will boost Ojeda into the main game early.<\/p>\n

\"Jayden<\/p>\n

Jayden Ojeda will move into Richie Stanaway’s vacant seat. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

This is after reports of incoming supremo Roland Dane making big decisions for the PremiAir garage for 2026 and beyond. <\/p>\n

The enigmatic nature of Stanaway’s career continues to surprise many, and retirees James Courtney and Nick Percat pulled back the curtain on his swift exit on the Driver’s Only podcast.<\/p>\n

“He’s had one season with each team, and it just ends,” said Golding.<\/p>\n

“And he gets going come about this point of the year. Every time,” explained Percat.<\/p>\n

Matt Stone Racing<\/p>\n

After a commanding enduro season with Lowndes<\/a> in the wildcard seat with Triple Eight, Matt Stone Racing snatched up Bates to join their line up alongside Jack le Brocq.<\/p>\n

\"Craig<\/p>\n

Craig Lowndes and Zach Bates of the #888 Supercheap Auto Chevrolet Camaro.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Bates becomes the fifth rookie to be confirmed for the 2026 season, with Rylan Gray, Walls, Ojeda and Jobe Stewart all fresh faces to the full time Supercars field.<\/p>\n

Blanchard Racing <\/p>\n

Next to Golding is the final seat available for the 2026 Supercars season with Blanchard Racing.<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

James Golding took home third in Bathurst. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

It is set to be incumbent Aaron Cameron, but with the shock moves of this silly season, it could shift and change with the countdown on.<\/p>\n

Rookie Cameron wants to be a “pretty hard guy to sack” when the season finishes.<\/p>\n

“Obviously I’d love to continue as we are because I feel like we’re hitting some pretty good results,” he explained.<\/p>\n

“If I can keep the car up and get a few more top tens, top 15, make sure we’re out of the twenties, it makes yourself a pretty hard guy to sack.<\/p>\n

“We’ll see what happens.”<\/p>\n

Tickford Racing<\/p>\n

Tickford is continuing with semi-finals bound Cam Waters<\/a> and Thomas Randle.<\/p>\n

\"Cam<\/p>\n

Cam Waters and Thomas Randle. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Walkinshaw Andretti United<\/p>\n

Walkinshaw Andretti United will be one of the new teams bringing Toyota onto the grid for 2026.<\/p>\n

\"Chaz<\/p>\n

Chaz Mostert of Walkinshaw Andretti United.\u00a0SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Gett<\/p>\n

Veteran Chaz Mostert<\/a> and Ryan Wood will be continuing with the team.<\/p>\n

Dick Johnson Racing<\/p>\n

Brodie Kostecki<\/a> will continue his campaign with Dick Johnson Racing while Rylan Gray will move into the vacant seat, left by departing Will Davison<\/a>, at the end of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Davsion is set to hit his 600th race in Supercars in Sandown and Gray will be coming on board as a Super 2 recruit, highlighting a strategic shift to have Kostecki as the senior driver in the team.<\/p>\n

\"Brodie<\/p>\n

Brodie Kostecki. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

“The opportunity to work with Rylan going forwards is pretty exciting for me. He’s young and I’m just sort of looking forward to mentoring him,” Kostecki said.<\/p>\n

“But Davo has been a great mate and a great teammate as well. I’ll enjoy the rest of the races that I’ve got with him for the rest of the year and I wish him all the best for whatever he does next.<\/p>\n

“Who knows, he could show up full-time next year or be a co-driver.”<\/p>\n

Brad Jones Racing<\/p>\n

Brad Jones Racing is also moving to field Toyota in 2026 and will be spearheaded by Andre Heimgartner, Cam Hill and Macauley Jones.<\/p>\n

\"Andre<\/p>\n

Andre Heimgartner stood on the podium six times in 2023, but never took a win.\u00a0Daniel Kalisz\/Race Project via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The team will be running a reduced line up of three cars, after the loss of the SCT Motorsport entry to Triple Eight Engineering.<\/p>\n

Team 18<\/p>\n

Team 18 is set to take on the General Motors homologation mantle and boasts a formidable duo with Bathurst runner-up David Reynolds<\/a> retained alongside Anton de Pasquale.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/p>\n

Dave Reynolds was runner-up in Bathurst after a wet 2025 race. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

The powerful pairing of seasoned veterans, who are proven race winners will be looking to fight with the big names in 2026.<\/p>\n

Erebus Motorsport<\/p>\n

One of the youngest pairings on the grid will be at Erebus Motorsport with Cooper Murray and recently called up Jobe Stewart.<\/p>\n

With an average age of just over 23 years and 5 months, the two had a heart-breaking finish at this year’s Bathurst 1000<\/a> and Murray will be looking to contest himself as a formidable driver in his second season in the full time game. <\/p>\n

“I’ve known Jobe for a few years now and watched him come through the ranks,” said Murray.<\/p>\n

\"Cooper<\/p>\n

Cooper Murray drives the #99 Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the 2025 Bathurst 1000.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

“He’s fast, switched on and a great teammate.<\/p>\n

“We worked really well together this year and I think we’ll push each other in the right way next season.<\/p>\n

“It’s going to be exciting to be part of one of the youngest driver pairings on the grid, and I know the whole team will be behind us, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can all achieve together next year.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Supercars has seen a wave of changes in the final run to the end of the 2025 season.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268067,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,806,805,803,804,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-268066","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-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268066","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=268066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}