Why the time was right for SCT's bold Triple Eight switch
Andrew Jones explains why time was right for SCT's bold switch
Triple Eight to operate third car for SCT Motorsport in 2026
Triple Eight to run three full-time cars for first time since 2018
The promise of entering an alliance with the most successful team in the history of the Repco Supercars Championship was a premise to alluring to refuse for SCT Motorsport.
Officially confirmed yesterday, the Smith family license will join an expanded Triple Eight Race Engineering line-up for their shift to Ford next season.
Head of Motorsport Programs for SCT Motorsport, Andrew Jones, joined Triple Eight's Managing Director Jamie Whincup at the latter's Banyo headquarters today for the official announcement.
This year will draw to close a six-year full-time partnership SCT have had with Brad Jones Racing in the main game, which started with Jack Smith's rookie season in 2020.
However, the operation has been mired at the back of the pack more often than not, with current driver Jaxon Evans currently 23rd in the standings. The Kiwi has only finished five of the last 13 races.
Jones explained to media that he and the SCT camp have been pushing to move forward on the Supercars grid, and that when Triple Eight opportunity presented itself a few weeks ago, it was an opportunity that had to be taken.
"It really happened from the outset of me being in this role for SCT Motorsport and for Pete Smith, we'd go to market every 12 months and have had a look at what options are available," said Jones.
"There are key criteria every time I do that. Everything that I've looked at previously would be a like-for-like swap, so sometimes it's better sticking with the environment you're in, continuing on that path and trying to improve the situation or the partnership that you've got, because no partnerships are perfect.
"I will make the note that the five years sent at BJR were absolutely pivotal in putting the right foundations in place for this program and how it operates, so it's been good for us.
"When there's an opportunity to join with the most successful race team in the country in this category, I might look stupid, but that's a no brainer right?"
For Jones, it represents a step away from his family team, however he insists it's one that had to made for the competitiveness of the program.
The move comes with ramifications for Toyota's entry next year, with BJR now left with three GR Supras to go alongside Walkinshaw Andretti United's two cars. BJR have stated they will share further details on their 2026 program in due course.
When asked how both he and the SCT camp came to the decision to part ways with BJR, Jones explained: "There's two elements to this, and I'm not naive enough to think that question wasn't going to be floated.
"From the business element going Supercars racing, it was pretty straightforward. Like Jamie said, I reached out to him, I was keen to explore this opportunity.
"Timing is imperative in life throughout all phases of it right? We originally spoke about this three years ago, and the timing didn't work. This time it has.
"In terms of leaving BJR from a business perspective, I like a pros and cons list, and it was pretty clear cut this time that the pros far outweighed the cons to be able to jump into something different.
"Ultimately we want to be successful, everybody does. I'll take this opportunity to thank Peter Smith for that, because he has been highly successful in his business life, their family loves sporting events of all descriptions, and Supercars is one of their absolute favourite past times.
"Part of that, and part of my remit is to try and make that program as successful as I possibly can. What better opportunity to do that than to partner up with the most successful Supercars team in the history of the sport, and make that a reality?"
2026 will mark the first time since 2018 that Triple Eight will field three full-time cars in the Repco Supercars Championship, having run two Red Bull-backed entries since Craig Lowndes' full-time retirement.
Triple Eight had come close to running a third ZB Commodore for Simona de Silvestro in 2019, however Whincup explained that of the opportunities the team have had to run three cars again, the SCT deal was the best fit.
"Andy called me post-Tailem Bend and said to have a think about if you would consider having a third car, and I'd had approaches in the past, and it wasn't viable, wasn't feasible," said Whincup.
"But then when he asked recently, I re-assessed the situation, and all of a sudden it made a lot of sense. We had all the equipment available, some fantastic personnel available from our wildcard entry, which was then going to move on.
"We had a lot of important pieces of the puzzle all ready to go, but really wholistically we're an engineering business that goes racing, we provide a motorsport service at the highest level.
"We have provided that service to Super2 teams, to GT teams, to a third entry back when Lowndesy was driving the Caltex car. We've done this in the past, this is what we do, so exciting times for us to be supporting a third car again for SCT Motorsport."
Whincup also teased that a driver announcement would be coming in the 'near future,' indicating a driver has already been signed.
Current Dunlop Super2 Series leader Rylan Gray was linked with the drive when SCT were rumoured to join Tickford Racing, whilst Triple Eight's wildcard pilot Zach Bates and Super2 rising star Jackson Walls have also been linked.
Red Bull Ampol Racing stars Broc Feeney and Will Brown are contracted through to the end of the decade.
