Walkinshaw Racing remains guarded on the timing of when it will reveal its new identity after being stripped of its symbolic Holden Racing Team moniker.
The Melbourne outfit lost its Holden Racing Team moniker in a bombshell announcement made by Holden last August as the most evocative brand name in Supercars moves to Triple Eight for 2017.
Walkinshaw Racing managing director Adrian Burgess said no firm launch date has been decided as the team enters its first season since being established in 1990 under a new identity.
Continuing with James Courtney, who will be joined by Garth Tander’s replacement Scott Pye as his team-mate for 2017, the squad says while it is important to unveil the new name, it is proceeding with the mantra ‘business as usual’.
“We’ve got a few ideas and a few things to drop into place before we can tell people when we will launch it,” Burgess told Speedcafe.com.
“Clearly we are not HRT anymore so we need to tell everybody what we are going to be and all those sorts of things.”
DJRTP cast-off Pye has wasted no time in settling into his new digs in Melbourne since relocating from Brisbane last week.
“Scott has been in the factory a couple of times already meeting all the guys and talking to his crew and getting a feel for the place,” Burgess said.
“He moved down just after the New Year so he’s in the process of getting settled into Melbourne.”
Walkinshaw is not yet prepared to disclose who will engineer Pye or indeed some of the movements within the squad.
“We are not making any announcements just yet. I want everybody here just to be focussed on what they are doing and preparing for the test day and getting the cars built and prepared,” Burgess said.
“There’s been a couple of little movements in the team. Now everybody is back at work, I’m going through having a conversation with everyone letting them know what my plan is and who is going to fit in where in the jigsaw.”
The Walkinshaw Supercars squad, meanwhile, will continue to operate out of its Clayton base until at least mid-season when it intends to move into the group’s new sprawling facility nearby.
The team along with Walkinshaw Sports, its GT Porsche concern, American Special Vehicles and Fusion Automotive will all operate for the first time from the same location in the new 28,000 sqm complex.
“We don’t need to be out of this building until December 31,” Burgess said.
“So we will stay probably until the middle of the season. Around Darwin or Townsville might be the likely time for the move.
“We’ve now got possession of the building we will be in. There’s three different buildings on the site.
“So now all the fit-out has got to be done and some work to the building itself before we try and look at moving which will be a process of a few months.
“There’s over 300 people in the organisation and a lot of infrastructure that needs to be created and put in place before we need to start pulling this place apart.
“Until then it’s business as usual.”
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