Jack Perkins is poised to return to the V8 Supercars Championship full-time next season in Charlie Schwerkolt’s Jeld-Wen Ford.
Steve Owen had been the favourite to secure the drive until the recent poaching of his fellow Ford Performance Racing co-driver Steven Richards by Red Bull Racing Australia.
It is now expected that Owen will be held to his two-year co-driving deal with FPR, where he’ll likely move into the former Richards seat alongside Winterbottom.
Although Schwerkolt is remaining tight-lipped on the developments, an announcement of Perkins’ signing could take place as early as today.
The 27-year-old Perkins has himself been one of V8 Supercars’ star co-drivers over the last four years following the end of his last full-time stint in the class.
A primary driver with first his father’s Perkins Engineering stable and then its successor Kelly Racing from 2007 to 2009, Perkins has since driven in the enduros with Stone Brothers Racing (2010), Paul Morris Motorsport (2011) and Garry Rogers Motorsport (2012).
Perkins has also starred in the Dunlop Series, finishing second in 2011 with Sonic Motor Racing Services and fourth this year with Eggleston Motorsport.
The 2013 result came despite missing the opening round of the campaign in Adelaide and featured a round victory at Queensland Raceway.
Perkins’ year included combining with Greg Murphy for the New Zealand V8 SuperTourer endurance races, helping the four-time Bathurst winner to the championship title.
A deal with Perkins will once again leave Schwerkolt’s current driver Alex Davison in the V8 Supercars wilderness.
Davison ended the season a solid 13th in points despite lacking the race-winning sparkle of his three FPR stable-mates Winterbottom, brother Will Davison and David Reynolds.
This year’s drive had promised to rejuvenate Alex Davison’s V8 Supercars career after a season on the sidelines in the Carrera Cup.
The expected finalisation of Schwerkolt’s seat will leave just three currently entered cars for 2014 – at Brad Jones Racing, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport and Volvo Polestar Racing – without confirmed drivers.
