Super2 entry list for Adelaide confirmed

Supercars has confirmed a 20-car entry list for Round 1 of the Dunlop Super2 Series in Adelaide this weekend.

Abbie Eaton’s drive at Matt Stone Racing was the last locked in with Supercars’ official website confirming a grid of 20, as speculated, down from the 22 to 23 cars that took to the track at each round last year.

The Brit is one of several drivers who are, for the time being, signed on for just the first one to two rounds due to a tough commercial climate.

She, like Dean Fiore, is hoping to parlay her deal into a full season with five of the seven rounds falling in the second half of the calendar year.

Eaton’s agreement makes for an all-changed line-up at Matt Stone Racing, although it is not all-new with the return of 2013 Super2 runner-up Ash Walsh alongside Supercars rookie and 2018 Aussie Racing Cars series winner Joel Heinrich.

MW Motorsport is a similar situation with Bryce Fullwood back from a year away to join Super3 Series winner Tyler Everingham and second-year Super2 driver Tyler Everingham, who has shifted from Brad Jones Racing.

Eggleston Motorsport, too, is a mixture of old and new with Will Brown the incumbent and its other two VF Commodores filled by Justin Ruggier, who won the 2014 Super3 Series with the team, and Dean Fiore, the latter two on one- and two-round deals respectively.

Triple Eight Race Engineering is competing in Super2 for the first time since 2013 to field Kurt Kostecki and Brenton Grove, who have brought their cars from their old teams.

Kostecki nevertheless continues to work for Kostecki Brothers Racing, from which brother Jake and cousin Brodie still race.

Tickford Racing continues with Thomas Randle and BJR retains Jack Smith although the Albury team has slimmed down from three cars to one, in part due to Macauley Jones’ Virgin Australia Supercars Championship call-up.

Image Racing has stability in Jordan Boys and Adam Marjoram but the former, who now enjoys an ex-Erebus Motorsport Commodore like his team-mate, is a round-to-round proposition.

Garry Rogers Motorsport heads into 2019 with Dylan O’Keeffe taking the place of 2018 series winner Chris Pither after the loss of its previous major sponsor, while Mason Barbera remains in Car #99.

Matt Chahda has switched from a Commodore to a Falcon in the single-car family team.

The new season starts on Thursday with Practice 1 at 1250 local time/1320 AEDT, and a 19-lap race each on each of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

A Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters entry list is expected today.

Entry list: Round 1, Adelaide Parklands Circuit