Preston Hire Racing will explore all options for next season to ensure it can be a regular top 10 finisher after a tough 2018 campaign to date.
The single car outfit from Melbourne has encountered a difficult season that has been plagued by lack of pace, inconsistency and bad luck.
Struggles in extracting pace on a green tyre with its ZB Commodore has been the squad’s biggest issue, resulting in a best finish of 11th for Lee Holdsworth thus far.
Committed to turning around the team’s fortunes, owner Charlie Schwerkolt says he plans to evaluate a range of options in a bid to increase the squad’s chances of success in 2019.
Schwerkolt’s Racing Entitlement Contact has taken many guises in recent years having run as a customer out of Ford Performance Racing, now Tickford Racing, from 2013-2014 and Walkinshaw Racing in 2015.
Schwerkolt moved to create his own independent team out of a new workshop in Mount Waverley from 2016 using Triple Eight machinery.
“We’re still committed (to Supercars) for sure,” Schwerkolt told Speedcafe.com.
“I haven’t really worked on what we are doing yet (for 2019).
“We are committed to moving forward. We have an amazing group of sponsors and people around us.
“It is possible (to achieve results with a one car team) but it is hard of course. We will look at all options in the future. It is all positive at this point.
“I’ve got to look at all options to be competitive and what that is I’m not sure yet.
“I want to get our team up in the top 10 like anyone does and whatever I’ve got to do, I’ve got to do.”
While unable to elaborate on potential options available, he admitted that striking a technical alliance with larger operation could prove beneficial and worth considering.
“It (a technical alliance) could (help) as I said we are looking at all options with everything at the moment,” he added.
“We have just got to get our team right up there again.”
The squad’s driver line-up for next year is to be resolved with Schwerkolt yet to hold talks with Holdsworth, who is out of contract at the end of the year.
“We have had no dialogue at all. At the moment we are looking for results and getting the most out of the car,” said Schwerkolt.
Holdsworth and the team returned to the track yesterday finishing 17th fastest in practice for this weekend’s Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint.
The event continues today with a 45 minute practice session at 1120 AEST.
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