The Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series has announced a 19-car grid for this weekend’s season-opener at Phillip Island.
Kumho V8s join the Dunlop Super2 Series on the supports bill for WD-40 Phillip Island 500, making for a total of 68 Supercars in competition at the Victorian circuit.
Geoff Emery returns to touring car racing in his ex-Craig Lowndes Triple Eight Commodore, which has been restored to the Holden Dealer Team tribute livery it ran at the 2012 Bathurst 1000.
Emery will even run the Commodore, last raced at Sydney Olympic Park in 2014, as car #888.
Josh Smith switches to Image Racing from Brad Jones Racing, driving a 2012-built ex-Stone Brothers Racing FG Falcon which was driven by Tim Slade in the Supercars Championship.
The Queensland is the only man in the field to have won a race in 2016, the other winners having been eventual series champion Taz Douglas and Super2 champion Garry Jacobson.
Ironically, Josh Smith’s seat at BJR will be filled by Jack Smith, who will be on double-duty at Phillip Island when he also runs in Super2.
Jack Smith will, however, switch that ride to the car which Jason Bright crashed at Adelaide in 2014 after writing off a VF Commodore in a multi-car crash at Symmons Plains.
Two-time Kumho V8 champions Eggleston Motorsport return with an as yet unconfirmed driver, believed to be 2016 runner-up Tyler Greenbury, in an ex-Triple Eight VE Commodore.
Michael Anderson is back after debuting in the series last season, but will now field the FG Falcon with which Cameron Waters won the 2015 Super2 Series.
Jacobson took the same car to five race wins in his two-round cameo in the unofficial third tier of Supercars last year.
In the Heritage class, Troy Stapleton’s ex-Dick Johnson Racing EL Falcon will be on the grid again, complete with original Shell Helix livery, while Bradley Neill debuts with an ex-Perkins Engineering-built VS Commodore raced by David ‘Truckie’ Parsons in 1996.
Round 1 supports the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship this weekend, April 21-23.
Entry list: Round 1, Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series
| Car # | Class | Sponsor | Driver | State | Vehicle |
| 2 | Kumho Cup | Page Bros. Jayco | Steven Page | VIC | Commodore VE ll |
| 7 | Kumho Cup | Mocomm Motorsports Communications | Jim Pollicina | NSW | Commodore VE |
| 11 | Kumho Cup | Kenwood Homes | Michael Anderson | NSW | Ford Falcon FG |
| 12 | Kumho Cup | Century 21 Hazelbrook | Chris Delfsma | NSW | Ford Falcon BF |
| 14 | Championship | Image Racing/Lubrimaxx | Josh Smith | QLD | Ford Falcon FG |
| 16 | Kumho Cup | Image Racing/Lubrimaxx | Leigh Moran | VIC | Ford Falcon BA |
| 17 | Heritage | Astoria Honda | Troy Stapleton | VIC | Ford Falcon EL |
| 21 | Championship | Brad Jones Racing/SCT Logistics | Jack Smith | QLD | Commodore VE ll |
| 23 | Kumho Cup | Massel | Michael Caine | NSW | Commodore VE |
| 38 | Championship | Eggleston Motorsport | TBC | Commodore VE ll | |
| 39 | Kumho Cup | Vectra Corp | Chris Smerdon | SA | Ford Falcon FG |
| 41 | Kumho Cup | Dial Before You Dig | Mark Primmer | NSW | Ford Falcon BF |
| 49 | Kumho Cup | Image Racing/Lubrimaxx | Jordon Boys | VIC | Ford Falcon FG |
| 55 | Heritage | Neill Motorsport | Bradley Neill | QLD | Commodore VS |
| 66 | Kumho Cup | Unichip Dynomotive | Jack Sipp | QLD | Commodore VE |
| 69 | Kumho Cup | Dial Before You Dig/Mac Motorsport | Jon McCorkindale | NSW | Ford Falcon BF |
| 76 | Kumho Cup | Garry Hills Racing – GHR | Garry Hills | WA | Commodore VE II |
| 88 | Kumho Cup | WakeUp! Backpackers | Warren Millett | NSW | Commodore VZ |
| 888 | Championship | Emery Motorsport/Solair World | Geoff Emery | VIC | Commodore VE |
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