HOLDSWORTH STAYS WITH TICKFORD

Lee Holdsworth stays with Tickford – Photo: LAT

Comeback man Lee Holdsworth will confirm he is staying with Tickford Racing ahead of this weekend’s Newcastle 500 finale.

By MARK FOGARTY

Holdsworth has been the revelation of the second half of the season, roaring back into contention after a slow start in The Bottle-O Ford Mustang.

He finished third in the recent Sandown 500 with rookie Thomas Randle, scoring his first Supercars podium since 2014, when he won Erebus Motorsport’s first of only two race victories in the team’s Mercedes AMG era.

He is due to announce his re-signing with Tickford for next year on Fox Sports’ ‘Supercars Trackside’ show on Thursday afternoon.

‘Lethal Lee’ will remain in the #55 Mustang alongside Chaz Mostert replacement Jack Le Brocq and incumbents Cam Waters and Will Davison.

Holdsworth did a direct swap with Mark Winterbottom, moving from four fallow seasons with Team 18 to a surprise seat at Tickford.

In the first half of the season, it appeared that Winterbottom had the better transfer as Holdsworth struggled to come to grips with the Mustang.

Holdsworth’s future in Supercars was in serious doubt until he rebounded, eclipsing Winterbottom since Townsville.

‘Frosty’ will be joined by WAU reject Scott Pye in a ramped-up two-car effort by Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt next year.

Holdsworth is scheduled to confirm his future on Thursday on ‘Supercars Trackside’, which begins at 4.30 pm AEDT.

‘Supercars Trackside’ will be live from Civic Park in Newcastle, with all drivers on hand to help raise funds for a NSW/Queensland bush fire appeal.

Host Jessica Yates will be joined by Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes to preview the Newcastle 500 and open bidding for a special item to raise funds for the NSW/QLD Bushfire Appeal, along with Holdsworth’s announcement.

Holdsworth’s re-singing is one of the last pieces of the 2020 driver moves puzzle.

Still to be confirmed are Mostert’s move to WAU, likely joined by young gun Bryce Fullwood; Matt Stone Racing’s pairing – Garry Jacobson plus split-season drives for young guns Zane Goddard and Kurt Kostecki – and BJR’s fourth driver to replace Tim Slade if he moves on.

As well as Nick Percat and Macauley Jones, BJR will field a fourth entry for Super2 graduate Jack Smith, with his entry underpinned by his family’s acquisition of Jason Bright’s REC.

MSR reject Todd Hazelwood is the front-runner to replace Slade, whose position at BJR is threatened by the likely withdrawal of sponsor Freightliner.

Also up for grabs is the second ‘Team Sydney’ seat alongside James Courtney, although the squad is embroiled in an ownership dispute.

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