Stanaway pushing for pre-enduro wildcard

Richie Stanaway says he is “pushing” for a wildcard start before co-driving with Shane van Gisbergen in this year’s Supercars enduros.

The GP2 race winner steps into the hotseat that is the #97 Red Bull Ampol Racing entry for this year’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000 following the defection of Garth Tander to Grove Racing.

Stanaway already has two starts this year with Triple Eight Race Engineering, in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour and then the recent Wanneroo round of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, but, at this stage, will not race in a Supercar between last year’s Bathurst 1000 and this year’s Sandown 500.

However, with Triple Eight currently building a Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro for his long-time supporter, Peter Adderton, the 31-year-old New Zealander is hopeful that will change.

“It’s not likely before [the enduros],” he told Speedcafe and the Parked Up Plus podcast.

“[But] I’ll definitely be pushing to try and make that happen just to get an advantage before the enduros.”

Stanaway confirmed that a Boost Mobile/Adderton-supported entry is “the only wildcard option available” and, if a cameo prior to September’s Sandown 500 does not come together, then just after the enduros is a prime opportunity.

That is because, following the Bathurst 1000, the Supercars Championship moves on to the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, where there were plans to field Stanaway last year in an extra Erebus Motorsport entry.

“It would be great to do one before enduros – that’d be a huge leg-up before the co-driver season – but, if not before, we’ll try to do one after, at the Gold Coast, but it’s too early in the year to have anything firmed up,” he said.

Stanaway has thus far tested twice in a Triple Eight Camaro, during the official test day at Sydney Motorsport Park in February, and again later in the month at Queensland Raceway.

Save for rookie testing, all teams still have two days up their sleeve, the latter of which is typically taken as a pre-enduro test in the weeks out from the first long-distance race of the year.

“I’ll probably get another day or two and maybe some ride days,” advised the 2017 Sandown 500 winner.

“I’ll just get as much mileage as I can but it’s a new car for everyone so even the primary drivers are still figuring it out and the co-driver field that I’m going up against is all in the same boat.

“So, whatever mileage I can get, I think will be a suitable amount.”

Meanwhile, Triple Eight recently confirmed Team Principal and four-time Great Race winner Jamie Whincup as Broc Feeney’s co-driver in the #88 Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro for Sandown and Bathurst.

It will field as many as three of its own entries this year, with Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard to steer the Supercheap Auto wildcard car at Mount Panorama.

The Sandown 500 takes place on September 15-17.