Matt Stone Racing’s plans to run a Triple Eight supported ZB Commodore next year could provide benefits to the factory Holden squad as it aims to assist the rookie Supercars operation.

Earlier this week Matt Stone Racing announced it had struck a technical support deal with the multiple championship winners as part of a switch from Ford to Holden machinery.

MSR will field a Triple Eight built ZB Commodore for Todd Hazelwood next season and will swap its Falcon FGX for a VF Commodore for the remaining rounds of the championship, beginning at the OTR SuperSprint next weekend.

The Triple Eight technical support package is due to begin next season with the deal expected to be similar to that received by Tekno Autosports, according to MSR boss Matt Stone.

While another ZB Commodore joining the grid in 2019 may offer some advantages, Triple Eight owner Roland Dane says the support package is going to be more beneficial for MSR.

MSR has struggled since graduating to the main game with Hazelwood currently last of the full-time drivers in the championship standings.

“In some ways it can do (help). It’s never a bad thing (to have another ZB Commodore running),” Dane told Speedcafe.com.

“But, Todd’s early in his career so it’s going to be of much more benefit to him than us, whereas,when Shane (van Gisbergen), for instance was at Tekno Autosports, there was much more of a two way exchange than it is when you’ve got a younger, less experienced person behind the wheel.”

Stone revealed this week that his team will purchase a new car for the next season but whether it will receive a new build or one of Triple Eight’s current ZB Commodores is yet to be confirmed.

“We’re still waiting to decide that with them. The only thing that we’ve all agreed on is that they’ll be running as a ZB next year,” Dane added.

MSR has spent this week preparing its VF Commodore for next weekend’s OTR SuperSprint at the new state-of-the-art The Bend Motorsport Park from August 24-26.