Fresh 2024 silly season developments unfold
A number of silly season revelations have unfolded as the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship passes the halfway mark in Sydney.
The driver market is in full swing with a number of drivers off-contact heading into 2024.
Triple Eight, Erebus Motorsport and Dick Johnson Racing have already locked in its 2024 driver line-ups.
Multiple reports on Friday at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight have linked the likes of Fabian Coulthard and David Reynolds to new teams.
Coulthard has been linked to a full-time Supercars return at Walkinshaw Andretti United.
The Kiwi joined WAU as a co-driver last year after departing Team Sydney, which was bought by Peter Xiberras and turned into PremiAir Racing.
Coulthard finished second with Chaz Mostert in last year’s Repco Bathurst 1000, and will race alongside Nick Percat for this year’s enduros.
Coulthard last raced full-time in 2021
He joined WAU Super2 driver Ryan Wood at a recent evaluation day, with the Kiwi young gun turning his first Gen3 laps.
Coulthard has also returned to Porsche Carrera Cup full-time this season as he readies for the enduros.
Recent reports have linked Cam Waters to WAU, but the Ford star appears set to stay on with Tickford Racing next season.
Penrite Racing driver Reynolds, meanwhile, is out of contract at season’s end and has since been linked to Team 18.
It could see Reynolds reunited with Mark Winterbottom, with the pair teammates at Ford Performance Racing between 2013 and 2015.
Should Reynolds depart Penrite Racing, it would open up a vacancy alongside 2023 rookie Matt Payne.
Key to the 2024 picture is at Triple Eight, where despite being contracted for next year, Shane van Gisbergen could also be on the move.
Van Gisbergen set world motorsport alight when he won on debut in the NASCAR Cup Series earlier this month.
Prior to Townsville, Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup stated he wouldn’t stand in van Gisbergen’s way if a NASCAR deal came calling.
"I think it’s a five at the moment,” Whincup replied when asked to rate van Gisbergen’s chances of racing in Supercars next year.
"There’s not much for me to do right now until he says, ‘Hey, I really want to go to US.’
“But he hasn’t made that call yet. I think he’ll make that call shortly.
“Then once he makes that call – hopefully he stays for all of our sakes – but if he decides to move on, then I’ll start the process of working out who’s going to jump in the car.”
Supercars will hit the track on Saturday in Sydney for Practice 1 at 12:15pm local time/AEST. Tickets are on sale now.
