The solo Supercars debut 21 years in the making

Last week, Luke Youlden was at home in Queensland with his family.

Today, he will take to the #26 Penrite Racing Mustang at the ARMOR ALL Sydney SuperNight in his solo Supercars debut.

While a Bathurst winner and Great Race veteran of 20 starts, Youlden remains one of Supercars’ 'nearly men’.

He made his main game debut at the 2000 Queensland 500 with Perkins Engineering.

At the time, he was a newly crowned Australian Formula Ford Champion and seemingly destined for a long career.

He was - but not in the way he had planned.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunities, but it never came to light,” he told Supercars.com.

"I’ve signed contracts in the past, second cars have fallen through, sponsorship deals have fallen through.

“I resigned myself to being a co-driver, and I was happy with that. Then I managed to win Bathurst, and that’s the main aim when you get into racing in Australia.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to never so a solo race. I’m not classing this as a full-time opportunity, but it’s my own car, my own seating position.

“There’ll be no compromises for the first time in 21 years, which I’m really excited about.”

Cars are in Youlden’s blood; his father Kent was a dual Australian Production Car Champion.

Youlden was a regular winner Victorian Formula Ford, and he shifted to Dugal McDougall Motorsport as chief engineer of its Formula Ford arm.

In 1999, he helped Greg Ritter become Australian Formula Ford Champion. In 2000, he beat future Bathurst winners Rick Kelly and Will Davison to the crown himself.

Sandown and Bathurst podiums in 2003 Pic: AN1 Images

Youlden's Bathurst 1000 debut came that year, and the then 22-year old was on for fifth place alongside Christian Murchison until a broken valve spring ended their charge.

Sandown and Bathurst podiums with Steven Ellery in 2003 proved Youlden’s worth, and Stone Brothers Racing partnered him with Russell Ingall.

All the while, Youlden achieved success in the New Zealand Touring Car Championship and the NZ Trans-Am Series.

He also finished fifth overall in the 2007 Super2 season, despite only competing in five of the seven rounds.

All 48 of Youlden’s career round starts have come at two-driver endurance events.

Youlden has raced for some of pit lane’s biggest teams; he scored podiums for Ford Performance Racing, Brad Jones Racing and Erebus Motorsport.

It was at Mount Panorama with Erebus where the fruits of his labour were borne into a stunning Bathurst win alongside the driver he his replacing in the #26 Mustang, David Reynolds.

With Russell Ingall and SBR in 2006

Last week, Reynolds carried the Penrite Ford into the top 10. Youlden, who has stayed sharp with Porsche Carrera Cup running this year, feels he can slot in and do a job.

It’s a vast difference to his last campaign in 2019, when after a year bereft of running, he crashed in Thursday practice in Bathurst.

“I’m not sure what the expectations are going to be on me this weekend, but I have to do the best job I can,” he said.

"It’s been a while since I’ve driven one of these things in anger.

“I feel quite strong in myself, I’ve done some Carrera Cup this year, and that series has produced its best field yet. I’ve been battling with some quality drivers.

“I feel as prepared as I’ve ever been. I think back to ’19, when I hadn’t done any real racing until Bathurst. I certainly wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be.

“I feel really sharp now. I know SMSP well, and a Supercar is a Supercar. There’s a steering wheel and four wheels.”

Bathurst 2017: Youlden's defining moment

Many key cogs of Youlden’s career are now at Kelly Grove Racing; critically, he will have Alistair McVean in his ear this weekend.

McVean engineered his 2017 Bathurst win alongside Reynolds, and helped the pair come within laps of going back-to-back in 2018.

Youlden also has an established relationship with the Groves, and has Todd Kelly in his corner.

All that’s left is the race weekend, with Youlden readying for an opportunity 21 years in the making.

“There are some quality guys at the team. There are quality guys I know from previous teams, which will make the transition easier,” he said.

“Alistair was my engineer back at Erebus when I won Bathurst. There are guys here I know well and it feels very comfortable.

“Todd’s been very welcoming, and I know the Groves from when I drove for them at the Bathurst 12 Hour. There’s history with both sides of the ownership.

'The car is just a car. It’s about what I can extract from it'

"Everything will be thrown at me, but I can’t wait. The car was quick last weekend, which always helps.

“To be honest, the car is just a car. It’s about what I can extract from it. I don’t anticipate too many set-up changes.

“I need to get comfortable in the car and go off what Andre [Heimgartner] and Dave have been doing, and lean on Alistair as much as I can."

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship will resume this weekend at the ARMOR ALL Sydney SuperNight.

Every session of the Sydney Motorsport Park event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 506) and streamed on Kayo from 12:30pm AEDT on both days.

The Seven Network will showcase highlights of the event.

Tickets for the three upcoming Sydney events are on sale now.