Holden is on the brink of confirming a Triple Eight-affiliated Wildcard entry for this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Rumours of a Triple Eight Wildcard have been circulating for some months.
Triple Eight, which runs two Red Bull-backed entries in the V8 Supercars Championship for Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, has one complete and a second almost-complete spare chassis in its Brisbane workshop.
The driver line-up for the Wildcard is currently unclear, with a variety of international drivers having been linked to the seat.
Talk of a Wildcard has also fuelled hopes that ex-MotoGP star Casey Stoner, who is competing in the Dunlop Series with Triple Eight and is a Holden ambassador, will make his Bathurst debut this year.
Although consisting of Triple Eight-appointed staff, it is expected that the Wildcard will be run separately from the two Red Bull entries.
Triple Eight managing director Roland Dane confirmed to Speedcafe.com at the weekend’s Coates Hire Ipswich 360 that he was still working on fielding a Wildcard, but warned that the project had already passed its internal deadline.
The reality television program-inspired Shannons Supercar Showdown entry has been the only Wildcard in each of the last two Bathurst 1000s, run by Kelly Racing in 2011 and Dunlop Series team Minda Motorsport last year.
As part of a re-jig of the program, the Shannons entry will not take in Bathurst this year, instead appearing in the Dunlop Series season-finale at Homebush.
Rules allow for up to six Wildcard entries to be granted for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
