Grant Denyer’s place on the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 grid is in doubt due to a shoulder injury.
The television personality and part-time race driver is slated to drive the #23 Shannons Supercar Showdown entry, as part of the reality TV program aired on 7mate.
The winner of the TV show is set to drive alongside Denyer at the Bathurst 1000 – the 50th year of touring car endurance racing at Mount Panorama.
The pre-recorded TV show has three drivers remaining in the competition, with Kiwi Andre Heimgartner, Jesse Dixon and Glen Wood set to fight out for the second seat in the #23 car.
The entry will be run by Minda Motorsports, led by team owner Bruin Beasley and team manager Barry Ryan.
Denyer has been carrying a shoulder injury for a number of years and missed the team’s final test session at Winton Motor Raceway recently. The remaining competition finalists, plus Kelly Racing’s development series driver Cameron Waters drove the car at the test.
Waters, who won last year’s inaugural Shannons Supercar Showdown, is a leading candidate to take Denyer’s slot in the car, if Denyer is unavailable.
Kelly Racing team owner Rick Kelly said that the team is weighing up its options.
“At this stage it’s a bit of a wait and see approach on GD (Grant Denyer), but we have been testing some good drivers who will easily fit into the car with our TV series winner,” he said.
“We will just wait and see how the driver line up unfolds in the next week or so. Barry is a very experienced Bathurst campaigner, he knows the place inside out and how to get the best of a race car.”
In other news, the #23 car has been revealed with new major backing from carsales.com.au, alongside title sponsor Shannons.
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