Former Team 18 engineer returns to Supercars

Engineer Matt Saunders has made his return to the Repco Supercars Championship after a year away.

Saunders has joined Matt Stone Racing to engineer the #34 Holden ZB Commodore driven by Jake Kostecki.

Saunders effectively takes over from Chris Stuckey, who joined the team earlier this year following the departure of Tim Newton to Team Sydney.

Saunders will take charge at the NTI Townsville 500, Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight, Winton SuperSprint, Bunnings Trade Perth SuperNight, Repco Bathurst 1000, and season-ending Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Stuckey will return for the Auckland SuperSprint.

Saunders comes to the team after a year away from the Supercars paddock.

He joined Team 18 in 2019 but was among those to lose their job as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic midway through 2020.

Since then, the Albury-based engineer has been building boats.

This weekend’s Merlin Darwin Triple Crown marks the first time since last year’s ill-fated Melbourne 400 that Saunders has been trackside.