Erebus Motorsport will itself field Jack Perkins in this year’s Dunlop Super2 Series ahead of his return to its Supercars enduro line-up later in the year.
Perkins will partner Will Brown in the Repco Bathurst 1000 for the third year straight, in addition to the Sandown 500 which returns to the calendar this season.
However, in a first for Erebus, it will also enter Super2, having had a presence in the category for several years now through its alliance with Image Racing.
Perkins will steer the ZB Commodore which Richie Stanaway and Greg Murphy drove in last year’s Great Race with the #70 plate and naming rights backing from Shaw and Partners.
“To be driving with Erebus and be supported by Shaw and Partners Financial Services is the perfect fit and we’re delighted that we’ve been able to put this program together,” said Perkins.
“Earl Evans and the team at Shaw and Partners were keen to put together a full Super2 championship after our stand-alone entry at Sandown last year and I’m really looking forward to representing them this year.
“I can’t wait to get into the year and see if we can not only win the Super2 Championship, but also get laps under my belt before we get to the enduros.”
The 2019 Bathurst 1000 podium finisher added, “Getting back into a full season of Super2 from a co-driving point of view is the ideal situation to make sure you’re in good condition for the endurance races.
“For any co-driver, doing racing throughout the year certainly helps and I think by the time we arrive at Sandown and Bathurst, we’re going to be a lot more race fit than some of the other co-drivers.
“Winning Bathurst is an absolute dream of mine and we won’t be leaving any stone unturned in the process to get there and that starts with the Super2 programme.
“I really enjoy working with Will, he’s a good kid and has really cemented himself as one of the top drivers in the category. We work well together and hopefully this is our year.”
Perkins will compete in a field which will include Erebus Academy drivers Jay Hanson and Jobe Stewart in Super2 and Super3 respectively, both with Image, and will take on a mentoring role in the programme.
Erebus CEO Barry Ryan explained, “The main reasons we’re committing to this Super2 Championship is to win Bathurst as well as give our younger drivers an accessible mentor.
“It’s going to be great for our Academy drivers Jay and Jobe in their respective categories to have someone in their camp with the experience that Jack has.
“Working with Jack over the past couple of years, we know he has enough experience but we also know that with more racing miles throughout the year, he will be an even stronger asset for the team come enduros.”
The 2023 Super2 Series starts at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.