Stanaway joins van Gisbergen for 2023 enduros

Richie Stanaway has signed with Red Bull Ampol Racing to partner Shane van Gisbergen in the 2023 enduros.

Stanaway has replaced Garth Tander, who has moved to Penrite Racing.

Between 2019 and 2022, van Gisbergen and Tander twice won the Bathurst 1000, and finished second in 2019.

Shortly after the 2022 season ended, Tander’s Triple Eight exit and Penrite Racing signing were confirmed.

It left a prized vacancy alongside van Gisbergen, which has been filled by Stanaway.

The two Kiwis will share van Gisbergen’s #97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro at Sandown and Bathurst in what is the first year of Gen3.

"I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team in 2023,” Stanaway said.

"It’s a huge opportunity for me and I’m so grateful to work with such an amazing team.

Stanaway has big shoes to fill in Tander

“It’s the best possible outcome for me after doing the wildcard program at Bathurst last year.

"To drive for, arguably, the best team in the field with the best driver in the category is the best-case scenario as a co-driver – I can’t ask for much more than that.

"For now, it’s about preparing as best as I can and getting my racing mileage up as much as possible.

"I’ll continue to do a lot of simulator work to stay sharp – that was the main way I prepared for Bathurst in 2022.”

It completes a remarkable rise back to the top for Stanaway, who came out of retirement last year.

Stanaway was coaxed out of retirement to race a Boost Mobile-backed Commodore with Greg Murphy.

In what proved to be Murphy’s last Bathurst start, the #51 Commodore came home an impressive 11th.

It came after Stanaway — who hadn’t raced a Supercar in three years — qualified fifth.

Stanaway’s racing CV is as good as they come — he won the 2009 New Zealand Formula Ford title, and the 2010 German ADAC Formula Masters title.

He won the German Formula 3 title in 2011 before progressing to win races in GP3 and reach the podium in Formula Renault 3.5.

Stanaway scored including GP2 wins in 2015 — including the feature race victory in Monaco — before shifting to Supercars.

He won the Sandown 500 in 2017 with Cam Waters and Tickford Racing before two unsuccessful full-time years in 2018 and 2019.

Come 2023, and Stanaway will be armed with his best chance yet to win the Great Race.

Last year’s Bathurst cameo ultimately proved pivotal in Stanaway’s Triple Eight signing.

Stanaway was quickly into his craft despite being out of the saddle for three years.

It paved the way for calls to see Stanaway return to full-time driving, but for now, he has scored the next best thing.

'It’s the best possible outcome for me'

"It’s quite refreshing going from having to do the primary driving last year at Bathurst with minimal preparation to having a co-driver role without being in a car a lot of the time,” he added.

"It was quite a big ask to come back last year and take on the primary driver role, obviously because I hadn’t been racing much over the last three years.

"It’s given me confidence having done that now and stepping into this co-driver role.

“I want to thank Boost Mobile and Peter Adderton for their support, as well as Greg Murphy who I drove with last year.

"They’ve been instrumental in getting me back on the right track which has led to this opportunity.

"I also want to thank the team at Triple Eight for putting their faith in me and giving me this amazing opportunity.”

The Penrite Oil Sandown 500 will be held on September 17, with the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 8.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.

Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.