Speedcafe broke the news last week that the Pete Smith-owned SCT Motorsport outfit was closing in on a deal with Supercars powerhouse Triple Eight.

The first domino fell yesterday when BJR, which has run the SCT entry as a fourth car since 2020, announced that the relationship would come to an end at the conclusion of this season.

It has now been confirmed that Triple Eight will indeed run the entry as a third Ford Mustang on a permanent basis from 2026 onwards.

That will mean there will be two three-car teams on the grid, Triple Eight and BJR, and just five Supras for what will be Toyota’s maiden season in Supercars, rather than six.

What remains unclear is who will race the SCT T8 Mustang, with incumbent SCT driver Jaxon Evans already confirmed to be parting ways at the end of the season.

According to Andrew Jones, who heads up SCT’s motorsport program, the decision to partner with Triple Eight is about results.

“Partnering with Triple Eight provides an amazing opportunity for SCT Motorsport to achieve the success that we set at the beginning of the journey in Supercars and continue the growth of the program that has been built over the past five years,” he said.

“Our ultimate aim is to win races, Bathurst and a championship; this strategic partnership puts us in a terrific position to make that happen.

“My dealings with everyone so far at Triple Eight through the process to bring this partnership to reality have been exceptional and it has given us an insight as to why they have been so successful for such a long period of time.

“We look forward to contributing to that success into the future as an integral part of the team”

For Triple Eight the deal marks a return to the three-car model it last used for the 2016-18 seasons, when it created a third entry to keep Craig Lowndes in the fold after signing Shane van Gisbergen.

“I’m thrilled to have SCT Motorsport partner with us in 2026 as we expand back to a three car operation,” said T8 managing director Jamie Whincup.

“Like us, they’ve been involved in the sport for more than 20 years on a quest to continually strive for excellence.

“Our team has specialised in providing a motorsport service to many partners past and present and we look forward to doing the same for SCT Motorsport.

“I’m already impressed with SCT Motorsport’s commitment to achieve best practice and their willingness to commit to whatever is required to run at the front of the Supercars Championship.

“I personally can’t wait to see where we can take this new and exciting partnership.”