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Some 16 months after first being announced, Richie Stanaway and Greg Murphy’s highly anticipated Bathurst 1000 wildcard will become a reality this year.
Erebus Motorsport originally locked in the Boost Mobile entry on June 8 last year before travel complications between Australia and New Zealand forced the concept to be scrapped for the 2021 Great Race.
It’s now been confirmed the #51 Kiwi-themed ZB Commodore will line up in the 2022 edition, culminating in the famed 161-lapper on October 9.
“It seemed like a pretty big deal at the time to have to wait an entire year, well about 10 months or so, but it has gone by pretty quick actually,” Stanaway told Speedcafe.com.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Added Peter Adderton of Boost Mobile: “We were never going to give up, and were always going to make it happen for Murph, Richie, and the Supercars fans.
“The story is not over for Richie and Murph to take on The Mountain and it’s something you don’t want to miss.
“Last year we jumped over every hurdle thrown at us and although in the end border restrictions made it impossible for 2021, the whole team at Erebus, Boost and the drivers were committed to making it work in 2022.
“The benefit of this year will be that Murph and Richie will have three test days prior to the big race which will allow them to fine-tune their skills and the set-up with the team.
“This idea came to fruition because of the fans so we encourage everyone to come on the journey with us and celebrate Murph and Richie back at the Mountain.”
That test programme will involve a trio of visits to Winton Motor Raceway, the first of which is slated for June 7.
Both Stanaway and Murphy have lapped up the prospect of a far more thorough preparation, as was utilised by Triple Eight’s Supercheap Auto-backed wildcard for Broc Feeney and Russell Ingall last year.
Prior to a late-race crash, Feeney/Ingall had been on-track for a top 10 result.
“That wildcard car with Broc and Russell did really well. If we can try to emulate that, then I think that will be a good result,” said Stanaway.
Murphy, 49, is a four-time Bathurst 1000 winner, his triumphs coming in 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2004.
Before retiring on his 28th birthday, Stanaway’s comparatively brief Supercars career was headlined by victory alongside Cameron Waters in the 2017 Sandown 500.
Erebus Motorsport last year took provisional pole for the Bathurst 1000 via Will Brown, and finished on the podium through the sister #99 car of Brodie Kostecki and David Russell.
