Main game refugee Tony D’Alberto is continuing with a push to return as a full-time championship driver next year.
Following his maiden V8 Supercars Championship podium as co-driver to Tim Slade, D’Alberto spoke of continued efforts to return under the Racing Entitlements Contract that his family team surrendered at the end of last year.
The former Development Series champion is scrambling to piece together enough funding to relaunch his main game career.
D’Alberto found himself out of the series after six seasons in V8 Supercars at the end of 2013.
The 28-year-old was upbeat about his future after his solid effort as an endurance driver this year with the Walkinshaw operation.
“We’ve been working pretty hard all year to try and gather enough money to come back to the championship and run a car,” D’Alberto said.
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“Probably not the way we’ve done it before (as a single car team).
“But at the moment we haven’t met the target yet.”
The D’Alberto REC has only ever run as a single car outfit which itself presents economic challenges.
One option is to run as a satellite with an established squad which wants to expand.
Tekno Autosports has not ruled out the possibility of entertaining a partner car for Gold Coast 600 Race 31 winner Shane Van Gisbergen.
“I’m enjoying running one,” team owner Jonathon Webb said.
“It was a tough decision this year but probably the right one for Tekno as a whole as a race team and the road car side.
“I’ve got everything ready to go. We’ll see how it goes. If the right opportunity comes (to expand again).
“If I can give someone a car like Shane’s and they can go and win the race like today then we might do it.”
D’Alberto concedes that any return remains shackled to the tyranny of the current REC situation and a feasible funding program to proceed.
“There’s obviously a lot of problems with licences and that sort of thing. There’s a few more boxes to tick,” D’Alberto said.
“I’ve enjoyed this year being with Walkinshaw and seeing how a big team operates.
“Obviously I’d love to be back in the championship full-time.
“If not I’d like to say where I am with Walkinshaw.”
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