Dale Wood is set to miss the opening co-driver practice session of the season at Winton this weekend with other commitments precluding him from the event.
Set to partner Tim Blanchard in the Cooldrive Commodore for the Pirtek Enduro Cup, Wood will instead be at Phillip Island.
“I’ve got something I’ve pre-committed to down at Phillip Island quite a few months ago, so I think that’s going to stop me being able to have a drive at Winton,” Wood told Speedcafe.com.
The session is the first of two official co-driver sessions during the season, with the other coming at Queensland Raceway in August.
Brad Jones Racing has told Speeedcafe.com that it may field the entry with either of its other co-drivers Macauley Jones and Ash Walsh at the wheel.
Wood comes off the back of a four-year fulltime stint in Supercars, ending with Erebus Motorsport last season.
There, with Chris Pither, he finished a career a best fourth at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Having stepped back to a co-driver role this year, Wood has proved a front runner in the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia series.
“I’m enjoying the Porsche thing so I’m certainly not hanging to get back into a Supercar at this point,” he admitted.
“I’m enjoying the Porsche stuff, and when it comes the time of year and it happens you start thinking about the Supercars thing again I will.
“At the moment I’ve committed to something else at Phillip Island and I’m going to go and follow that through.”
Wood is not the only driver set to miss the outing at Winton.
Scott McLaughlin’s co-driver Alex Premat will be in America and unable to make the session.
The remaining 24 cars are set to field their Pirtek Enduro Cup drivers, including Earl Bamber, who will take part in his first Supercars session in the #97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodore.
Matt Stone Racing is expected to announce its co-driver this week with Tekno Autosports also yet to confirm who will co-drive with Jack Le Brocq.
Pirtek Enduro Cup 2018 teams and drivers
| Num | Team/Sponsor | Car | Primary driver | Co-driver |
| 1 | Red Bull HRT (Triple Eight) | Holden Commodore ZB | Jamie Whincup | Paul Dumbrell |
| 97 | Red Bull HRT (Triple Eight) | Holden Commodore ZB | Shane van Gisbergen | Earl Bamber |
| 888 | Autobarn Lowndes Racing (Triple Eight) | Holden Commodore ZB | Craig Lowndes | Steve Richards |
| 2 | Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing (WAU) | Holden Commodore ZB | Scott Pye | Warren Luff |
| 25 | Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing (WAU) | Holden Commodore ZB | James Courtney | Jack Perkins |
| 5 | The Bottle-O Racing (Tickford) | Ford Falcon FGX | Mark Winterbottom | Dean Canto |
| 6 | Monster Energy Racing (Tickford) | Ford Falcon FGX | Cameron Waters | David Russell |
| 55 | Supercheap Auto Racing (Tickford) | Ford Falcon FGX | Chaz Mostert | James Moffat |
| 56 | Tickford Racing | Ford Falcon FGX | Richie Stanaway | Steve Owen |
| 7 | Plus Fitness Racing (Nissan) | Nissan Altima | Andre Heimgartner | Aaren Russell |
| 15 | Castrol Racing (Nissan) | Nissan Altima | Rick Kelly | Garry Jacobson |
| 23 | Drive Racing (Nissan) | Nissan Altima | Michael Caruso | Dean Fiore |
| 78 | Team Harvey Norman (Nissan) | Nissan Altima | Simona de Silvestro | Alex Rullo |
| 8 | Brad Jones Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | Nick Percat | Macauley Jone |
| 14 | Freightliner Racing (BJR) | Holden Commodore ZB | Tim Slade | Ash Walsh |
| 21 | Team CoolDrive (BJR) | Holden Commodore ZB | Tim Blanchard | Dale Wood *(Absent from Winton) |
| 9 | Erebus Penrite Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | David Reynolds | Luke Youlden |
| 99 | Erebus Thermosphere Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | Anton De Pasquale | Will Brown |
| 12 | Shell V-Power Racing (DJRTP) | Ford Falcon FGX | Fabian Coulthard | Tony D’Alberto |
| 17 | Shell V-Power Racing (DJRTP) | Ford Falcon FGX | Scott McLaughlin | Alexandre Premat * (Absent from Winton) |
| 18 | Preston Hire Racing (Team 18) | Holden Commodore ZB | Lee Holdsworth | Matthew Brabham |
| 19 | Tekno Autosports | Holden Commodore ZB | Jack Le Brocq | TBA |
| 33 | Wilson Security Racing GRM | Holden Commodore ZB | Garth Tander | Richard Muscat* Chris Pither* |
| 34 | Wilson Security Racing GRM | Holden Commodore ZB | James Golding | |
| 35 | Bigmate Racing (MSR) | Ford Falcon FGX | Todd Hazelwood | TBA |
| 230 | Milwaukee Racing (23Red) | Ford Falcon FGX | Will Davison | Alex Davison |
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