SUPERCARS ‘SILLY SEASON’ FAR FROM OVER

Supercars “Silly Season” far from over – Photo: InSyde Media

Some of key pieces of the puzzle have been placed, but there are still big gaps in the 2021 Supercars jigsaw.

By MARK FOGARTY

The big questions: the futures of David Reynolds, Fabian Coulthard, Tim Slade and Lee Holdsworth, and the line-ups at Tickford Racing and Matt Stone Racing

The latter depend on finding RECs – for Tickford, to stay at four entries and for MSR, to expand to three cars.

The problem is that all 24 RECs are committed. Tickford and MSR need Supercars to release the lapsed licences it holds in reserve to achieve their entry goals for next year.

The driver market shuffle, triggered by Penske’s withdrawal and Scott McLaughlin’s switch to IndyCar, has seen Anton De Pasquale leave Erebus for DJR, with returnee Will Davison ousting Coulthard.

Up for grabs are seats at Erebus Motorsport, Kelly Racing, Brad Jones Racing, MSR, the new CoolDrive Racing entity and possibly (probably) Tickford.

The biggest mover could be Reynolds, who wants out of Erebus. He is linked with returns to KR or Tickford and an escape to BJR, with Penrite following him.

With De Pasquale gone, if Reynolds also leaves – despite his 10-year contract – Erebus has Will Brown signed and Brodie Kostecki in reserve.

KR needs a replacement for retired team co-owner Rick Kelly. While he would be expected to stay as an enduro co-driver, don’t rule out a defection to Tickford with his Castrol backing.

BJR has Nick Percat, Todd Hazelwood and Jack Smith locked, but Macauley Jones’ position is parlous. He is vulnerable to replacement by Reynolds or Coulthard as CoolDrive take their REC in-house.

Reynolds is the key to the puzzle. Where he goes – or not – influences other decisions.

Coulthard is in play to stay with DJR as an enduro co-driver, rejoin BJR or lead the Blanchard family’s new standalone CoolDrive team. Slade is also a strong candidate for that slot for his return to full-time participation, as well as being linked to MSR.

The latter is because one of MSR’s RECs is owned by patron James Rosenberg, a long-time supporter of fellow South Australian Slade.

CoolDrive’s move to its own team has forced BJR to buy a replacement entry. The Albury squad is understood to have purchased Phil Munday’s REC.

That formerly underpinned his Milwaukee Racing entry with Will Davison, then was leased by Boost Mobile boss Peter Adderton for James Courtney’s return from his Team Sydney exit.

Pay attention because the REC situation is complicated.

The Blanchards have reclaimed their entry from BJR, going it alone with their own one-car Mustang team based at CoolDrive’s headquarters at Box Hill in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Running an ex-Munday Mustang, it will be aligned with Tickford in as much as it will source engines and other key components from Campbellfield. Also, Tickford race engineer Brendan Hogan is moving across as team manager.

Tickford is facing a dilemma because the Munday REC’s sale to BJR has left it an entry short.

It has its own RECs for Cam Waters, Jack Le Brocq and Courtney, but the move of the Munday entry leaves Lee Holdsworth out in the cold.

Holdsworth’s Truck Assist backing will move to Le Brocq, who brought it to Tickford, to replace Supercheap Auto, whose backing is set to be spread across several cars, including Triple Eight’s Red Bull Ampol Racing entries.

Without a REC, Holdsworth – who has been a revelation since his switch from Team 18 last year – is at risk because he doesn’t bring major backing.

If it can solve its REC problem, Tickford is open to a return by Reynolds with Penrite backing. The unruly Bathurst winner was dumped by the team at the end of 2015, when he challenged for the title.

On balance, Kelly Racing – despite his acrimonious departure to Tickford (then FPR) in 2012 – seems Reynolds’ best competitive prospect alongside Andre Heimgartner.

Behind the driver shuffles, the shortage of available RECs will determine the make-up of the 2021 grid.

The removal of the Blanchards’ entry from BJR for their own standalone one-car squad has created new demand

BJR has bought Munday’s REC to stay at four cars, but that has left Tickford an entry short.

Meanwhile, ambitious independent MSR is looking to expand to three and ultimately four entries.

But with the 24 existing RECs accounted for, Tickford and MSR are relying on Supercars to release the two entries it holds in reserve.

They have been retained for new manufacturer-backed entries.

Despite the new demand, most teams are opposed to expanding the field because it would reduce their share of Supercars’ annual dividend.

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