MSR intends to extend T8 alliance into 2020

Matt Stone Racing intends to extend its technical alliance with Triple Eight into 2020 as it expands to two entries.

The Queensland operation committed to a customer support arrangement with the factory Holden squad for the 2019 campaign as part of a switch from Ford to Holden machinery.

The agreement has seen the team work closely with Triple Eight sharing data with the Supercars powerhouse and its other customer squad Team 18, another one car outfit.

According to MSR team owner Matt Stone, the squad plans to continue the arrangement for next season having benefitted from the support this year.    

The outfit and its young gun Todd Hazelwood, who will join Brad Jones Racing next year, outshone Triple Eight on occasions in qualifying, which saw the alliance prove an advantage to both teams.

“We have been very happy with that this year and we definitely have the intention to continue on with that,” Stone told Speedcafe.com.

“We have grown that alliance with them over the course of the year.

“I think one of the best parts about it is that Triple Eight have a similar alliance with Team 18 which means they are getting the benefit of having multiple cars all trying different things and coming back to them with information, to help the whole group move forward. 

“It’s a win-win for everyone.

“We had some really good qualifying pace early on. 

“Coming from a single spring category in Super2 for the last few years maybe we were pretty quick to adapt to it in the main game format.  

“I’d like to think that our feedback helped those guys and their development helps us.”

Next year the alliance could prove even more fruitful as MSR moves to a two car operation with a pair of ZB Commodores.

Former Kelly Racing driver Garry Jacobson is tipped to take over the #35 entry driven by Hazelwood, while the second seat is thought to be split over two drivers, with Kurt Kostecki and Zane Goddard linked to the drive.

MSR is currently in the process of securing its second Holden that will be underpinned by a Racing Entitlements Contract purchased from Garry Rogers Motorsport.  

“We have a few different options there whether we purchased a car off Triple Eight, or a Triple Eight car that is already in the mix or convert the Super2 car that Ash Walsh drove,” Stone added.

“I’m pretty close in deciding which way we are going.”     

Announcements regarding the team’s 2020 driver line-up are expected in the coming days.