The teammate battles to watch in 2024
The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship offers several new storylines when it comes to team land.
Nine of 11 teams underwent at least one change in the off-season, with new names set to bring a new dynamic to the grid.
Of the 11 teams, only Dick Johnson Racing and PremiAir Racing enter the new season with unchanged line-ups, although Tickford Racing retained two drivers amid its shift to a two-car model.
Notably, the leading teams of 2023 — Erebus Motorsport and Triple Eight Race Engineering — have welcomed new names, with Will Brown’s defection from Erebus to Triple Eight adding another chapter to a growing rivalry between the two Chevrolet squads.
Three teams will have rookies — Walkinshaw Andretti United, Brad Jones Racing and the expanded Brad Jones Racing — while Penrite Racing welcomes a new Bathurst winner to the full-time fold.
Ahead of the new season, Supercars.com picks out six teammate battles that could set the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship alight.
Broc Feeney vs Will Brown
The biggest silly season story of 2023 — Will Brown’s move to Triple Eight — had tongues wagging for 2024 months before the campaign gets underway. Brown and Feeney form the youngest line-up on the grid at a combined age of 46, and are proven winners. Triple Eight has always let its drivers race it out, and Brown and Feeney are good mates. Shane van Gisbergen suggested Feeney doesn’t like getting beaten, and should Brown be on the money, the youngsters will put on a show.
Cam Waters vs Thomas Randle
Cam Waters has been Tickford Racing’s spearhead for some time, and won three races in what was a mixed 2023 for the Ford squad. However, Thomas Randle closed the gap in the second half of the year and proved he was not set on simply being a No. 2 driver. Notably, Randle held position ahead of Waters at The Bend in the fight for third, and also shadowed the Monster Mustang star in the final rounds of the year. Key for Randle is consistent one-lap pace — Waters is arguably the best qualifier on the grid.
Brodie Kostecki vs Jack Le Brocq
Brodie Kostecki was the bonafide star of 2023, winning his first championship in a superb season for Erebus Motorsport. Kostecki and Will Brown fought for the title before the latter fell away, coinciding with his signing with Triple Eight. The arrival of Jack Le Brocq offers a new dimension to Erebus, which is determined to defend the titles it worked so hard to win last season. While Kostecki’s place as Supercars’ benchmark is clear, Le Brocq will be keen to prove his speed with Matt Stone Racing last season — which netted a win and a pole — was no fluke.
Chaz Mostert vs Ryan Wood
There’s no doubt that Walkinshaw Andretti United is Chaz Mostert country, with the two-time Bathurst winner leading the team’s charge since he arrived in 2020. Bryce Fullwood and Nick Percat were unable to challenge Mostert in their respective two-year stints at WAU, but come 2024, Mostert will have rising Kiwi star Ryan Wood in the other garage. Wood, 20, was a revelation in last year’s Dunlop Series, winning more races, rounds and poles than any other driver. Wood’s race craft is as entertaining as it comes, with his bold overtakes and dive-bombs at the centre of his successes.
Matt Payne vs Richie Stanaway
Matt Payne was pitted against David Reynolds in his rookie season, but time and again proved he is a star of the future. Reynolds only just pipped Payne in the qualifying and race head-to-heads, with Payne crushing the field in the final race of the season. The arrival of Bathurst winner Richie Stanaway offers one of the more intriguing storylines of the whole season, given the potential the Kiwi possesses. Stanaway didn’t show his best in his first full-time stint in the main game, suffering through two tough seasons with Tickford and Garry Rogers Motorsport. Should Penrite Racing find a fast package, the team could be in for anything — and that includes championship glory.
David Reynolds vs Mark Winterbottom
Team 18 hit the big time in 2023, with Mark Winterbottom winning at Hidden Valley. However, it was a bright spot in an otherwise tricky campaign — but a raft of personnel changes is a clear indication that owner Charlie Schwerkolt doesn’t want to make up the numbers. The arrival of David Reynolds comes as a fascinating time, given how well he ended 2023 with Penrite Racing. In the last two rounds, Reynolds reeled off four straight podiums and a first win in five years. Adrian Burgess takes the helm of the team in 2024, with Reynolds and Winterbottom reuniting as teammates, nearly 10 years after they finished first and third for Prodrive Racing Australia. The battle of the veterans could push Team 18 to the very top, bringing to life Schwerkolt’s vision of a running a front-running team.
