Strong V8 Touring Car grid for Phillip Island

Twenty-two older model Supercars will tackle the opening round of the V8 Touring Car Series at this weekend’s WD-40 Phillip Island 500.

Effectively the third tier of Supercars racing, the independently-run series caters for cars built prior to introduction of the current technical platform in 2013.

This year marks the 11th season for the class, which also supports Supercars at Winton (May 18-20), Queensland Raceway (July 20-22) and Tailem Bend (August 24-26).

The Phillip Island field is headed by Brad Jones Racing’s Jack Smith, who won the V8 Touring Car class last year, dovetailing his campaign with a full Dunlop Super2 season.

Smith, 18, enjoyed a breakout Super2 weekend at Symmons Plains earlier this month, and will again race a BJR-run VE Commodore in the Phillip Island V8TC races.

Matt Stone Racing joins BJR in fielding cars in all three Supercars tiers this season, campaigning 40-year-old Queenslander Bradley Neill in an ex-Stone Brothers Racing FG Falcon in the V8TC.

Dunlop Super2 Series outfits MW Motorsport and Image Racing are also represented, the former fielding Formula 4 graduates Tyler Everingham and Zak Best in a pair of ex-Tickford FGs.

As previously reported, Matthew Radisich, the nephew of former Supercars driver Paul, will drive a Falcon for Terry Wyhoon’s Image Racing.

Image will run Radisich’s car alongside a second ex-SBR FG for 18-year-old Jacob Bell.

ECB SuperUtes Series front-runner Ryal Harris is among other notables on the entry, swapping his Mazda BT-50 for an Aussie Driver Search-run ex-Tickford FG.

The V8 Touring Cars will contest three races over the Phillip Island weekend.

 Entry List: V8 Touring Car Series, Phillip Island