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Supercars enduro tests to fire up next week

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: August 29, 2023

Preparations for the headline endurance events of the year will go into full swing next week when all 11 Supercars teams conduct test sessions, but Dick Johnson Racing has been forced to make a slight change of plan.

After eight solo rounds, attention turns to the most important time of the season with the returning iconic Sandown 500 and famous Bathurst 1000 events on the horizon.

As a result, teams are desperate to give their respective co-drivers some rare and invaluable time behind the wheel of the new Gen3 Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs.

Between Monday, September 4 and Tuesday September 5, all 11 teams will hit the track to conduct test sessions.

The full Dick Johnson Racing squad will be in motion on Tuesday with Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale, plus their respective co-drivers Alex Davison and Tony D’Alberto and the #98 Bathurst wildcard.

The third DJR Mustang will be driven by the returning Simona De Silvestro and teenage rookie Kai Allen and both drivers were scheduled to get their first laps.

However, it will only be young gun Allen behind the wheel with De Silvestro’s Australian arrival pushed back.

The team has revealed the Swiss driver needed her appendix removed in an “emergency operation” but is “recovering well”.

“Simona De Silvestro was due to land in Australia later this week ahead of wildcard testing at Queensland Raceway on the 4th and 5th of September,” read a statement from DJR.

“However, due to an emergency operation required to remove her appendix over the weekend, her arrival date in Australia has been pushed back.

“Simona is recovering well in Switzerland and at this stage is anticipated to join the team in Australia in mid-September.

“Alternative plans are being arranged for wildcard testing ahead of the Bathurst 1000.

“The Shell V-Power Racing Team wishes Simona a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing her soon!”

They will be joined by Triple Eight Race Engineering at Queensland Raceway where the Supercheap Auto wildcard program spearheaded by Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard kicks up a gear.

It will be the first time Lowndes will drive a car since he recently resigned in a landmark deal, while Goddard will return having raced at Darwin.

Wheels will also be in motion at Winton on Monday with another international co-driver looking to gain some valuable lessons of Gen3.

Kevin Estre will get his first taste of a Ford Mustang Supercar when he goes testing ahead of sharing the #19 with Kiwi rookie Matt Payne.

The championship leading Erebus Motorsport will also hit the track, but with some new faces behind the wheel.

Erebus will stage an evaluation day for Super2 drivers Cooper Murray and Jay Hanson, who were ready to get some maiden Gen3 laps back in May before it was washed out.

Then Tuesday will be full throttle with all 11 teams taking to the tarmac.

Queensland based teams Triple Eight, DJR, Matt Stone Racing and PremiAir Racing will be taking on the “Paperclip”.

Meanwhile Winton plays host to all the Southern based teams with Erebus Motorsport and Grove Racing being joined by Team 18, Tickford, Walkinshaw Andretti United, Blanchard Racing Team and Brad Jones Racing.

Due to the limited testing miles some co-drivers took up the chance to get some seat time by driving in ride days after the Sydney SuperNight event.

However, these test sessions will be of paramount importance as the first Sandown 500 in four years comes closer on September 15-17.

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