Next year’s Supercars grid starting to take shape

Next year’s Supercars Championship grid is starting to take shape with the silly season in full swing.

As it stands, just a handful of teams have their line-ups finalised for the 2021 season, which is expected to get underway in late February.

Those include Dick Johnson Racing (Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale), Triple Eight Race Engineering (Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisergen), Team 18 (Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom), and Walkinshaw Andretti United (Chaz Mostert and Bryce Fullwood).

Tickford Racing hasn’t officially ratified its line-up for 2021; however, Cameron Waters and Lee Holdsworth were both announced in 2019 on “multi-year” deals for 2020.

At this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 it was announced James Courtney would continue racing for the team in 2021.

Jack Le Brocq joined Tickford Racing at the start of 2020 and is believed to be on a multi-year contract too.

While Speedcafe.com understands four drivers are contracted to the team, it is still searching for a fourth Racing Entitlements Contract.

Phil Munday, who operated his 23Red Racing outfit out of Tickford Racing, this week confirmed the sale of his Racing Entitlements Contract to Brad Jones.

Jones’ line-up is all but confirmed too. The team has so far announced Nick Percat, Todd Hazelwood, and Macauley Jones, and is expected to retain Jack Smith.

Brad Jones Racing’s acquisition of a third Racing Entitlements Contract came after Tim Blanchard parted company with the Albury-based team.

It is expected Blanchard’s new one-car team, which hasn’t officially been announced, will be based out of the CoolDrive Auto Parts facility in Melbourne.

Blanchard parted company with Jones, who acquired the Racing Entitlements Contract formerly owned by Munday to ensure the team continued as a four-car operation.

Several drivers have been rumoured to be in line to join Team CoolDrive, but Speedcafe.com understands Tim Slade is the team’s preference.

Erebus Motorsport has Will Brown locked in for 2021, though questions remain over incumbent David Reynolds who has been rumoured to be looking elsewhere.

Reynolds signed a 10-year deal with the team midway through 2019, this year marking the first in that agreement with the Dandenong South outfit.

Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan this week told Speedcafe.com plans were still in place to see Reynolds racing with the team in 2021.

That’s despite mounting suggestions that Brodie Kostecki may graduate from the Super2 Series ranks.

At this year’s Bathurst 1000 the 23-year-old said he hoped to have good news by Christmas.

Question marks still surround the Kelly Racing stable following the sudden retirement of Rick Kelly.

Who will join Andre Heimgartner in 2021 remains unclear, but with Reynolds rumoured to be looking elsewhere and Fabian Coulthard out of the Dick Johnson Racing fold, either of those drivers could fill the void.

Elsewhere, Team Sydney’s line-up isn’t finalised, though incumbents Alex Davison and Chris Pither have both indicated they would like to return to the Sydney Motorsport Park-based team.

The situation at Matt Stone Racing isn’t finalised either as the team runs out of time to make a planned three-car expansion for next year.

Stone has expressed a desire to see SuperLite entrants Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki go full-time.

Garry Jacobson declined to comment when approached by Speedcafe.com.

Provisional 2021 Supercars Championship grid (subject to change)