SUPERCARS TO ALLOW SPLIT-SEASON DRIVERS

Supercars to allow split-season drivers – Photo: LAT

A MAJOR rule change next year will allow Supercars teams to run different drivers in split-season arrangements.

By MARK FOGARTY

Auto Action has learned that drivers will be able to sign-up for partial seasons according to their budgets.

Now, nominated regular drivers are nominally committed for the whole season. The existing rule requires a team to enter a driver for the full year, replaced during the championship only due to injury or a breach of contract.

Oddly, by all accounts, the change has not gone to the Supercars Commission and may just be allowed by osmosis.

There will just be an unofficial recognition that multiple drivers are allowed, as they are tacitly now.

The change has not gone to the Commission, but AA has heard from multiple Supercars sources that it will happen.

From next year, teams will be able to nominate multiple drivers for a single entry, splitting events throughout the season.

This will allow promising young drivers with limited budgets to contest selected events according to their means, sharing the entry with other cash-strapped tyros.

The move could even allow experienced drivers with limited budgets to stay partially in the game or enhance their endurance race co-driver prospects.

The relaxation would be in addition to the wildcard system, which allows teams to field extra entries at selected rounds and the enduros.

The Supercars Commission is considering the rule change to help teams to fund a car by using multiple drivers with partial budgets when they struggle to finance a season-long entry for one driver.

It is not known how many teams are looking for this assistance, but there are obviously enough – and enough drivers with part-season budgets – to justify the multi-driver approach.

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