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New team, no worries: the recruits bucking new team trend

06 May 2021
Four of the top 10 drivers in 2021 standings came into new teams
3 mins by James Pavey
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Drivers adapting to their new teams was a major talking point heading into 2021, but several leading talents have already exceeded expectations.

To this weekend’s OTR SuperSprint, four of the top 10 drivers in the 2021 standings came into new teams ahead of the new season.

It marks another shift in new drivers making it count, despite it coming in such a competitive category, where the established drivers carry over momentum year to year.

In 2020, Chaz Mostert finished fifth in his maiden Walkinshaw Andretti United campaign, with Scott Pye ninth for Team 18.

WATCH: NINE AWESOME BEND MOMENTS

The leading light of the quartet is fifth-placed Will Davison, who has clinched three podiums for the Shell V-Power Racing Team across the opening three events.

Teammate Anton De Pasquale vaulted from 17th after Sandown to eighth following a double-podium weekend at Symmons Plains.

Sandwiched between the Dick Johnson Racing duo is Kelly Grove Racing recruit David Reynolds, who remains seventh overall despite finishing no higher than eighth in Tasmania.

In 10th is Erebus Motorsport rookie Brodie Kostecki, who impressed at Sandown to claim a maiden main game podium.

Davison was strong in Tasmania

Podiums for all four drivers were hugely encouraging steps in their early days in new colours, with Davison and De Pasquale heading to The Bend armed with the confidence of their team’s strong form at the South Australian circuit.

Shell Fords have won six of the last eight races held at The Bend.

“We hit better form at Tassie, but still a little bit to go,” said De Pasquale, who suffered two DNFs in his opening four races in 2021.

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“We’re heading to The Bend which is a track I love going, it’s a track the team loves going to.

WATCH: DE PASQUALE’S CENTURY OF STARTS

“Really looking forward to getting there and giving it a good go.

“We’ll be chasing some more podiums but hopefully for the top step at some point.”

Through the opening three events at Mount Panorama, Sandown and Symmons Plains, the championship midfield battle is extremely tight, positions seven through 13 are covered by just 46 points.

Brad Jones Racing's Nick Percat in ninth and Pye in 13th are covered by just 11 points.

Reynolds, who heads the tight pack, struggled in Tasmania with finishes of 16th, eighth and eighth.

Reynolds scored his first podium since 2019 at Sandown

Still, after his Sandown podium, the 2017 Bathurst winner remains confident despite heading to a Tailem Bend circuit where he has claimed just four top 10 finishes in 10 starts.

"[In Tasmania] we rolled out and we were a bit more confident in our package, the qualifying speed could be better, it’s not our strong point at the moment and we qualified 13th and eighth which is about where we’ve been all season so far,” Reynolds said after the Symmons Plains round.

"All in all it’s not a bad day, we’re eighth in the championship after this weekend and we know what areas we need to work on to get further up the field so it’s not too bad.”

The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend for the OTR SuperSprint across May 7-9. Tickets are on sale now.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo with highlights on 7 and 7 Plus.

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