ANTON DE PASQUALE EARNS EREBUS SEAT FOR 2018

Anton De Pasquale joins Erebus Motorsport in 2018 – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Anton De Pasquale will join Erebus Motorsport for the 2018 Supercars Championship after signing a multi-year deal with the team.

The 22-year-old had been the leading contender to replace Dale Wood in the No. 99 Commodore, who recently announced his departure from the team, after an impressive rookie test with the team at Winton back in August.

“It’s a dream come true and I’m very lucky to get this opportunity, so I will take it with two hands,” said De Pasquale on securing his main series seat.

Anton De Pasquale testing David Reynolds car at Winton rookie test – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

“I’m very excited to be joining Erebus on a multi-year deal, I really enjoyed my first taste with the team at the Evaluation Day and they have a lot of potential still to come.

“I’ve already worked with the team so I’m not going in blind, I have a good idea of who everyone is and also what they expect out of me.

“There will be a jump from Super2 and an element of the unknown but you get that when you step up in anything you do.

“I believe with the right crew around me and especially having David as my team-mate, I have the best opportunity to learn as quick as possible and keep moving forward.”

Barry Ryan, Erebus Motorsport’s Team Manager, believes De Pasquale will prove to be a valuable asset to the Bathurst 1000 winning team alongside David Reynolds.

“We are delighted to have secured Anton, his local and European championship winning experience along with his raw speed and natural talent is exactly what we need to complement David and our team,” said Ryan.

“Our plan has always been to develop a team that grows and wins together and we are excited to bring more fresh talent into Erebus and Supercars.”

Anton De Pasquale in his Paul Morris Motorsport Super2 car – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Alistair McVean, Erebus’s Head of Engineering, says the De Pasquale has the potential to be future Supercars star.

“He is clearly a talented driver and what we have experienced with Anton so far has been very impressive,” said McVean.

“His feedback was clear, concise and accurate, and most of all he was fast and mistake free.

“We were impressed by his ability to push Dave to the point where Dave had to stretch himself to go another level to go faster; it was clear from this point on that Anton was a star of the future.”

It’s expected that De Pasquale will get a chance to sample Erebus Motorsport’s new ZB Commodore during a test day in February before making his main game debut in Adelaide.

For more of the latest Supercars news, pick up the next issue of Auto Action Magazine, on sale Thursday. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.