Cameron McConville will make a surprise Supercars return when he joins Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport for next weekend’s CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown.
The former Supercars full-timer has been selected to pilot the #3 LDM Commodore for the next two championship rounds beginning at Hidden Valley, before moving onto the Watpac Townsville 400 from July 7-9.
LDM has been searching for a driver to fill its second seat after its first choice Matt Chahda was denied a Superlicence by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport at the start of the season.
Since then Taz Douglas has been running in the car on a round-by-round basis while Matthew Brabham took over the drive at Perth.
McConville will bring a wealth of experience to the squad having contested 328 Supercars races during his career.
The 43-year-old ended a four-year spell away from Supercars when he joined LDM for last year’s Pirtek Enduro Cup alongside Nick Percat, with the duo scoring a third at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
“I always enjoy racing in Darwin, as every driver does, so when Lucas (Dumbrell) and Phil Munday asked me to jump in it wasn’t a big arm twist to be honest,” said McConville.
“I haven’t driven a Supercar since the Gold Coast, so I’m very realistic about my goal for the weekend.
“My plan is to dial back in during practice, provide some mentoring to Alex (Rullo) and finish all of the races.
“Although LDM is a small operation, they always punch above their weight.
“I’ve known Lucas (Dumbrell) for a long time and Phil Munday even longer, so it’s a privilege to help them out and looking forward to assisting with their ongoing development.”
Team owner Lucas Dumbrell believes McConville, who has been competing in Australian GT this year, will provide a valuable benchmark for the team’s rookie signing Alex Rullo in the sister entry.
“I can’t wait to see Cam in action, his drive for LDM at the Bathurst 1000 last year is something he should be proud of.
“It was his performance early in the race that gave the team the momentum which eventually put us on the podium,” said Dumbrell.
“Phil Munday and I got together and thought, who better than Cam to drive for us in the Repair Management Australia Commodore.
“Not only is he experienced and fast but it would provide a benchmark for Alex who hasn’t even seen Hidden Valley Raceway.”