Stone didn't expect 2022 silly season 'twists and turns'

The departures of Jake Kostecki and Zane Goddard came as a surprise to Matt Stone, who remained focused on continuity heading into 2022.

The 2022 driver market is in full swing, with Matt Stone Racing thrust into the centre of three major developments last week.

A busy seven days in the 2022 driver market began with Kostecki confirmed at Tickford Racing on a multi-year deal for 2022 and beyond.

On Friday, Goddard announced he would be departing the team at the end of the 2021 season.

MSR has yet to confirm its driver line-up for the 2022 season - but Stone didn't anticipate any change.

“We were fully intending on continuing on with the two same guys months ago, and rolling that line-up into next year,” Stone told the Parked Up Podcast.

“We certainly thought we were going to see ourselves sitting out of the silly season.

“But we have found ourselves well and truly in the mix of it.

“It has been an interesting time; I don’t know whether it’s because everyone has a break from racing and has idle hands, but certainly, there has been a lot of twists and turns that we didn’t think we would be getting caught up in.

“We are very happy with how we have reacted to the changing landscape, and we have come out with some really solid plans that we have been wanting to put in the pipeline.

“We are hoping for it fast-forwards our long-term goals.”

The Monday news of Kostecki’s signing coincided with the confirmation Jack Le Brocq will leave Tickford at season’s end.

The door is ajar for Le Brocq to make a move elsewhere, with a straight swap with MSR incumbent Kostecki a mooted option.

For Stone, whose team is in its first campaign as a two-car squad of full-time drivers, stability remains the plan.

The MSR boss indicated the teams’ future plans are confirmed but are holding off on a public announcement.

“Our plans for next year are fully locked and loaded, we are working on putting the release together, and looking at the different ways to do it,” Stone explained.

Goddard and Kostecki will depart MSR in 2021

“The big focus for us over the past in the last couple of years is to aim to have continuity into the Gen3 rollover so we can really capitalise on it.

“We don’t want new drivers, new crew, new this and that, while we are trying focus on a new car.

“Now with that being pushed back to the following season, the next focus for us is to have continuity over the next two years.

“We have basically put it all together and we are packaging it up to release it to the world, on what our two-year forecast is, it’s locked and loaded and coming out very shortly.

“We did have a plan to release tomorrow morning [Tuesday] and give a piece to the puzzle on what we are putting together; however, we have since decided to go with a different strategy to maybe a bigger release.

“It takes a bit longer to put it together to give a lot more of the whole puzzle rather than just pieces of it.”

Jayden Ojeda (R) completed a Bathurst co-driver evaluation last month

The Gold Coast-based team is now taking time away from the workshop before heading to NSW.

MSR will travel to Sydney Motorsport Park for four consecutive weekends of racing ahead of the season finale at Mount Panorama.

The squad is also yet to confirm its co-driver line-up for the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Walkinshaw Andretti United wildcard Kurt Kostecki and Dunlop Super2 Series driver Jayden Ojeda have both completed co-driver evaluations with the squad.

However, neither have yet been confirmed for December's Great Race.

“We have been sitting on a few things there, it’s all locked in place, but we aren’t in any great rush to release it,” Stone said.

MSR is yet to confirm its driver line-up for 2022

“One of those drivers, which wouldn’t take a great deal of ingenuity to figure out who, currently has another obligation with another team which is doesn't finish right up until Bathurst.

“We are waiting until all their obligations are finished up before we announce them as one of our co-drivers.

“On that note, we just saved to do both [co-driver announcements] at the same time, but it is getting late in the season.

“What should have happened months ago, with all of the calendar shifting to later, we find ourselves here, getting close to Bathurst and still not overcome that hurdle of not wanting to cross conflict when someone is contracted to another endeavour.

“As it stands now it’s like everything else, we are locked and loaded, but haven’t got to the point of releasing it to the world yet.”

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship season will resume at the Bunnings Trade Sydney SuperNight from October 29.

Tickets for all four Sydney events are on sale now.