The move is small from a distance standpoint as the squad teams buildings within the Mount Waverley business park that’s also home to owner Charlie Schwerkolt’s Waverley Forklifts empire.
However, the squad has hailed the shift into a larger building at the front of the three-unit complex as a “significant milestone in the team’s commitment to long-term growth and competitiveness”.
Team 18 finished a lowly 10th in the Teams’ Championship last season, its first under high-profile team principal Adrian Burgess and technical director Geoff Slater.
Changes for 2025 are headlined by ex-Dick Johnson Racing driver Anton De Pasquale replacing Mark Winterbottom in the DeWalt entry as teammate to the Tradie Beer-backed David Reynolds.
Speedcafe understands Team 18 has recruited ex-Brad Jones Racing man Andrew Donnelly to race engineer De Pasquale’s #18 Chevrolet Camaro.
Veteran Richard Hollway is set to continue running David Reynolds while Winterbottom’s former right-hand-man, Som Sharma, moves into a broader performance role.
The team will show-off its new headquarters at a season launch event on February 12, where it will also reveal liveries for the two cars and likely detail its personnel shake-up.
“It’s been a monumental off-season for Team 18, and we are thrilled to showcase our brand-new headquarters at our season launch,” said Schwerkolt.
“With two exceptional drivers in Dave and Anton, new talent joining our team from across the grid, and our cutting-edge facility, we are getting set for an exciting 2025 season.
“Our season launch will be a fantastic opportunity to reveal our team’s colours and celebrate the start of a new chapter with our partners and guests.”
De Pasquale, 29, is looking forward to getting to work with Team 18 in what will be his eighth Supercars Championship season following three with Erebus Motorsport and four with DJR.
“I can’t wait to see my new DeWalt Camaro unveiled at the launch,” said De Pasquale.
“It’s an exciting time at Team 18 as we get set for the pre-season test and the opening round in Sydney.
“We’re ready to put in the hard work and make 2025 a memorable year for our fans and partners. The entire team is fully focused on putting together a strong campaign, and I’m pumped to get started.”
Team 18 will be back on track before its season launch, providing one of its Camaros for a Supercars category test at the Bathurst 12 Hour across January 31-February 2.
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