![\"\u2018They\u2019ve](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/018-de-Pasquale-EV05-26-MH7_7098.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnton De Pasquale takes service in Tasmania. Image: Supplied <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnton De Pasquale takes service in Tasmania. Image: Supplied <\/p>\n
The five-time ATCC\/Supercars champion declared on MotorRacing 360 that GM has \u201cdone nothing\u201d since Ford poached Triple Eight ahead of 2026.<\/a><\/p>\n Triple Eight\u2019s defection led to Charlie Schwerkolt\u2019s Team 18 being handed HT duties<\/a> and the responsibility of leading a new alliance among remaining GM squads.<\/p>\n Team 18 sits fifth in the current teams\u2019 championship after five rounds, with Anton De Pasquale the only GM representative inside the top 10 of the drivers\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst thing is, GM had their pants pulled down when Ford came and grabbed Triple Eight,\u201d said Skaife on the program.<\/p>\n \u201cGM needed to whack Ford for what happened at the end of last year and that changeover.<\/p>\n \u201cThey haven\u2019t whacked them. It\u2019s been like a whimper. They\u2019ve done nothing. GM has done nothing.<\/p>\n Buy tickets to the 2026 betr Darwin Triple Crown. Click here <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThen when you apply the GM factor to this and the factory team is Team 18, they don\u2019t operate well enough.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are not going anywhere near well enough.\u201d<\/p>\n GM\u2019s reaction to Triple Eight\u2019s defection was multi-faceted.<\/p>\n It signed up T8\u2019s technical director Jeromy Moore, engine supplier KRE and Bathurst 1000 star Craig Lowndes, while also reappointing former Holden racing boss Simon McNamara.<\/p>\n GM recently poached Grove Racing technical chief Grant McPherson<\/a> in a further offensive, but the level of its teams and drivers continues to come under scrutiny.<\/p>\n Team 18 picked up the HT duties over PremiAir Racing, Matt Stone Racing and Erebus Motorsport, the last of which has opted not to be part of the \u2018GM alliance\u2019.<\/p>\n Team 18\u2019s David Reynolds at the Tasmania Super440.<\/p>\n \u201cApply it to normal sport. The NRL with a Craig Bellamy or Wayne Bennett or Ivan Cleary or whoever,\u201d Skaife continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThey put so much pressure on that organisation to perform each weekend, they get the best from everyone in that outfit.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are not like that. Team 18 are not operating like a proper, proper factory team.\u201d<\/p>\n Team owner Schwerkolt on Wednesday defended his squad in the Daily Telegraph, backing De Pasquale as an \u201cA-grade\u201d driver and declaring him a title contender.<\/p>\n He also conceded the current scoreboard is \u201cnot good enough\u201d for GM.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously we want more Chevs in the 10 and we\u2019re going to be pushing hard to get all Chevs up there,\u201d said Schwerkolt.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll help all the teams we possibly can, we\u2019ve got to get Dave [Reynolds] up there, too.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we want the other Chev teams up there and we\u2019ll do whatever we can to help them come along. It\u2019s a united front from all GM teams.\u201d<\/p>\n De Pasquale\u2019s victory at the Sydney season opener was just the second for Team 18 in more than a decade in the championship.<\/p>\n GM and Team 18 have subsequently negotiated two parity changes in its favour, leading to Reynolds snapping his podium drought in Tasmania.<\/p>\n Reynolds\u2019 future at the team is currently unclear, with GM and Team 18 heavily pursuing Grove Racing star Matt Payne.<\/p>\n \u2018Not A-grade\u2019: Barry Ryan\u2019s damning assessment of GM drivers<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/INS17858-copy.jpg\")
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