Co-drivers, 2024 prospects get testing laps

Pre-season testing has offered a chance for a number of signed co-drivers and potential signings to get behind the wheel.

Monday and Wednesday have proven crucial for teams and drivers to bed in processes ahead of the Thrifty Bathurst 500, which opens the new season on February 23-25.

Notably, this week has seen Will Brown (Triple Eight) and Nick Percat (Matt Stone Racing) cut laps with their new teams, with Jack Le Brocq and Todd Hazelwood (Erebus Motorsport), Richie Stanaway (Penrite Racing), David Reynolds (Team 18), James Courtney and Aaron Love (Blanchard Racing Team), Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) and Jaxon Evans (Brad Jones Racing) doing the same on Wednesday.

BJR christened its Wednesday morning announcement by getting Declan Fraser, Jaylyn Robotham and Jordan Boys through its Chevrolet Camaros.

Fraser secured the seat alongside star Kiwi Andre Heimgartner, replacing Dale Wood. Meanwhile, Robotham, who raced with MSR last year, has replaced Dean Fiore alongside Bryce Fullwood.

The BJR trio joined Lee Holdsworth and Fabian Coulthard (both WAU), Scott Pye (Triple Eight), David Russell (Erebus) and Tony D’Alberto (Dick Johnson Racing) as confirmed co-drivers to get laps this week.

However, several drivers hopeful of 2024 co-drives were also handed seat time, headlined by James Moffat and Tyler Everingham with Tickford Racing, and Jayden Ojeda with Erebus, on Wednesday.

All told, of 24 full-time combinations, only 10 have been formally announced. Three teams are yet to announce co-drivers: Tickford, MSR and PremiAir Nulon Racing.

While neither Moffat or Everingham has had their 2024 plans confirmed, Moffat and Everingham both suited up with Tickford on Wednesday at Winton Motor Raceway, where Ojeda also joined Erebus.

Where Moffat and Everingham are essentially incumbents, having raced with Tickford last year, Ojeda could be in the frame to score a plumb drive with the reigning champions amid Brodie Kostecki’s ongoing absence.

Russell has already re-signed, while Todd Hazelwood was set to race with recruit Jack Le Brocq, only to be promoted to a full-time spot with Kostecki sitting out Round 1.

Ojeda raced with Matt Stone Racing in 2022 and 2023, the latter season alongside Le Brocq for the year’s longest races. On Monday, MSR — which could be forced into a double enduro co-driver change — handed MSR laps to Kiwi veteran Chris van der Drift. The Porsche veteran previously raced with Erebus in the 2016 enduros.

Jonathon Webb, who raced with Tim Slade last year, also joined PremiAir Nulon Racing at Monday’s test.

The enduro season will commence at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on September 20-22, followed by the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 10-13.