Major engineering restructure for MSR
Matt Stone Racing has confirmed an extensive team restructure, which includes an expansion of the team's engineering department.
The team will again run two cars in 2021, with Jake Kostecki and Zane Goddard to complete full-time campaigns following the departure of Team Sydney-bound Garry Jacobson.
Kostecki's #34 entry will be engineered by Tim Newton, who will also step up to a senior engineering position.
Newton's Supercars career began in 2007 at Paul Morris Motorsport, and has also completed stints at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Image Racing and Tekno Autosports.
In 2020, Newton arrived from Tekno to engineer the #34.
While 2020 was a trying year amid the drive-share complexities and the COVID-19 pandemic, Newton is looking forward to a more streamlined 2021.
"Over the summer break we undertook an exhaustive audit of operations here at MSR," said Newton, who has also engineered three Bathurst 12 Hour class wins for MARC.
"Looking forward to 2021 and again to Gen3 coming online, we have the structures we need to get our two cars deep into the mid-pack."
The data engineer for the #34 in 2020, Jack Bellotti, will transition to a race engineering position for the #35 of Goddard.
Bellotti began his career at McElrea Racing as a junior engineer, before he moved to the UK and enjoyed stints in sportscar and motorcycle racing.
He returned to Australia in 2018, and worked as a data engineer for Jack Le Brocq at Tekno.
"I'm very pleased that the team has trusted me to step up and engineer on car #35 in the Repco Supercars Championship," Bellotti said.
"I look forward to working with Zane, the ZB and all the brilliant MSR crew this year."
The departure of Wes McDougall to Triple Eight allowed for MSR to expand, with Nathan Leech arriving as the team's new performance engineer.
Data engineer Sheldon Auhl will now head the team's return to the Super2 Series with Aaron Seton.
Seton's father, two-time Australian Touring Car Champion Glenn, will engineer Jason Gomersall's Super3 entry.
Team owner Matt Stone was excited for a big year for the team in 2021.
"We look forward to 2021 with the new structure and rollover of two of our 2020 drivers," he said.
"We hope to build continuity moving forward with results being our top priority.
"I've always been a fan of promoting from within and having the opportunity for Tim and Jack step up to new positions in this restructure is a great advantage.
"They both understand the culture here at MSR and are great engineers for us to build our program around."
The revamped MSR outfit will return at the Repco Mt Panorama 500. Tickets are on sale now.
