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In the case of Grove Racing, it will be rolling out its #19 Mustang for a ‘rookie’ test for Matt Payne, who is still entitled to those three extra days given this is his second full season in the Repco Supercars Championship, and he did not finish in the top 10 in the 2023 standings.
However, it also means additional seat time for team-mate Richie Stanaway in his first season back in full-time competition, with the 2023 Bathurst 1000 winner to cut up to 10 laps in Payne’s car per Supercars regulations.
Stanaway is currently fourth in the championship and Payne, who has scored a pole position in each of the last two events, fifth.
Garth Tander and Dale Wood, the latter of whom was today confirmed as Grove’s newest enduro co-driver, will not be in action tomorrow, although the team returns to Winton for the customary mid-season test day later in the month.
Fellow southern-based team Brad Jones Racing benefited from a rookie test day for Jaxon Evans last month, with lessons learned from a day at Queensland Raceway contributing to a turnaround which saw Andre Heimgartner take a victory and a sixth at Taupo.
In Grove’s case, though, because Payne is a second-year driver, the team is still restricted to Winton for its rookie days rather than choosing from other tracks.
It is set to be joined tomorrow at the northeast Victorian venue by seven different Super2 outfits, namely Anderson Motorsport, BJR, Eggleston Motorsport, Erebus Motorsport/Image Racing, Matt Chahda Motorsport, Tickford Racing, and Walkinshaw Andretti United, the latter just one car given its is a rookie test for Campbell Logan.
EMS’s Kai Allen leads the Super2 Series after winning both races in Round 1 at Mount Panorama, with Tickford drivers Brad Vaughan, Rylan Gray, and Lochie Dalton filling third through fifth in the standings.
Both the Championship and Super2 seasons continue at Wanneroo Raceway when the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint takes place on May 17-19.
