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Kelly Racing’s return to Supercars takes another step forward this year with a two-car Super2 programme.
The famous name returned to the Supercars system last year with Mason Kelly, son of team owner Todd, debuting in Super3 in a Nissan Altima.
Both team and driver are now set to ramp up their programmes this year, with KR running a pair of Gen2 Ford Mustangs in the second tier, starting at this weekend’s Thrifty Bathurst 500.
One will be driven by Mason Kelly while the other will be raced by TCR and S5000 race winner Aaron Cameron.
The team will be run by Todd Kelly and engineer/team manager Daniel Veronese and backed by the likes of SCHRAMM Group and Castrol.
The revival of the KR brand includes a new social media presence – @kellyracing_ on both Facebook and Instagram.
“Last year was a massive learning season for me in terms of the tracks and the car as I expanded my skill set to get my head around the whole experience,” said Mason Kelly.
“By the end of the year I was happy with the speed we had and the progression made, so I feel confident entering Super2.
“It was great to jump in the Mustang during testing recently. It’s the same chassis underneath as the Altima, but there are a lot of differences as well such as the position of the windows around the driver, the feel of the engine and the stability of the aerodynamic package make it really nice to drive. I found it easier in certain areas than the Altima.
“I was really happy with how we went in the two day test and it was great to complete all that running without any problems at a good pace.
“Super2 has been very competitive the last couple of seasons and there is a very high level of drivers, but I’d like to think we’ll be quite competitive. I won’t put a mark on what I want to achieve, but I’m confident going into the season and hopeful we can have some good results.
“Aaron’s a great guy and I get along with him very well. He has a lot of experience in a variety of different categories and he’s great to work with in addition to learning from, so I’m looking forward to teaming again together this season.”
For TCR and S5000 race winner Cameron, the Kelly Racing deal marks his first full crack at Super2.
“To do three rounds last year was all pre-planning to undertake a full-attack of the 2024 Super2 Series,” Cameron explained.
“We learnt a lot about the starts, the race craft and the different driving technique a Supercar requires compared to categories I come from as I’ve had to switch to right-foot braking.
“The Kelly Racing crew put in a big effort during the break to not only go over my car, but also with Mason coming in his Mustang needed to be ready as well. To roll out pretty strongly with Mason and I was pretty cool, with the car feeling different to last year as my confidence has grown since my first race at Sandown last year heading into the opening round at Bathurst.
“I’m aiming to be inside the top five, that’s where we’d like to be as a base goal and we’ll keep chipping away at it throughout the year.
“We did learn a lot last year about how to set-up a series, even if it was just three rounds we did a great job of accumulating points led by at Bathurst where we finished fourth for the round. This year the focus is to keep on finishing and the results will come throughout the year.
“I’ve done a bit of mentoring at Garry Rogers Motorsport during the last few years and in general Mason doesn’t need any help with qualifying speed – he’s really fast. I do feel there are aspects in the race craft that I can help with and give advice on. That’s the idea, work as a team and pull each other forward. I believe he’ll be pushing me at Bathurst, he’s been really good already during testing.
“To have the whole SCHRAMM Group team onboard is amazing and it gives you that head start at the beginning of the season to have a crack. For the three rounds last year, the SCHRAMM Group was incredibly good to me and heading into this year it’s something pretty exciting for myself to be able to have a go at the entire Super2 Series.”
