As expected this morning, Fabian Coulthard has been confirmed as an addition Walkinshaw Racing’s driver line-up for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.
The New Zealander has made the move from Wilson Security Racing Fords to Walkinshaw Racing Holdens, signing the deal on Wednesday.
Coulthard will move from his Gold Coast-base to reside in Melbourne over the off-season.
Speedcafe understands that Coulthard has been earmarked to drive the #24 Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore VE next year.
The 27-year-old joins the factory Holden stable in the sister outfit to the Holden Racing Team, meaning he is effectively team-mate to Garth Tander and Will Davison.
“To drive alongside Garth Tander and Will Davison at Walkinshaw Racing is an exciting prospect,” Coulthard said.
“This is a great opportunity for me and I am honoured to have been given the chance to step up and drive for such a professional outfit.
“This new role is going to put me in a position to consistently contest top 10 finishes and podium results,” he said.
CEO of Walkinshaw Racing Craig Wilson said the decision to bring Coulthard across was about building a team that could put results on the board.
“We strive to have the strongest driver combination possible. With Fabian joining Walkinshaw Racing we believe we have a stronger line-up for 2010,” Wilson said.
“The last two years have shown that Fabian has the speed and consistency to be a real threat,” he said.
“We look forward to him joining the team later this year so we can hit the ground running for the start of the 2010 season in February,” he said.
Coulthard made his V8 Supercar debut with Tasman Motorsport at the Sandown 500 in 2005 with Tony D’Alberto. He drove a part season with Paul Morris Motorsport in 2006 and 2007, before securing his first full-time ride with Paul Cruickshank Racing in 2008.
His best result in the championship came this year at Symmons Plains where he finished third.