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Matt Stone Racing is looking to run a three-round wildcard alongside its regular Supercars entries next season.
The Chevrolet team will prepare a third Gen3 Camaro during the off-season with plans to field it in as many as three events.
As per the current wildcard rules that would be one sprint round and the two enduros, Sandown and Bathurst.
According to team owner Matt Stone, the idea is about MSR continuing its tradition of promoting young talent, without needing to risk an inexperienced driver in one of its primary entries at the enduros.
“We took delivery of a third chassis mid-to-late this season, and we’ve been chipping away in the background with the intention of cycling it into our two car main game effort in early-to-mid part of next season,” Stone told Speedcafe.
“I guess it’s a twofold desire; one, we want to cycle in a new car for the for all the benefits that come with that, and two, it also frees up a car for us for a wildcard operation, which is something that we’ve sort of had appetite to do ever since we pulled out of Super2 at the start of the year.
“We’re quite quite interested in, as a team, expanding into a wildcard. It helps us get back to our to our roots of giving young guys their first taste of Supercars machinery and helping them come up. Because what we’re finding is there’s too much at stake to give a Bathurst virgin a run in one of our main championship entries, because it’s someone’s championship on the line, and there’s just too much risk on a Bathurst newbie.
“The wildcard opportunity I think is a really good way for these young guys to get the mileage, so it’s certainly something in our sights
“We’re committed to building the car for it and we’re starting to put the pieces together of a potential three-round wildcard program for next year.
“We’re actively recruiting and working on all the all the bits and pieces associated with it, so that we’re geared up ready to go as soon as we put the final touches on the idea.”
While playing his cards close to his chest, Stone admitted that a preferred primary driver for the wildcard entry had effectively been decided on.
“We’ve got a good a good candidate that we’re working with to put it together,” he said. “And then obviously we’d be looking to find a good Super2 graduate to drive in the enduros.”
Stone added that MSR had looked at a wildcard in 2023 but opted to let the dust settle on Gen3 before making any serious commitment.
“It’s something we really we talked about doing it this year, but with brand new cars Gen3 cars, it was just something that we knew was going to be too much,” he explained.
“So we’ve shelved that and worked on in the background. We’re very committed as a team to doing it. It’s just about putting it altogether, getting all the ducks in a row and bringing it to life.”
