Team 18 lands GM homologation team role

General Motors has revealed Team 18 as its new homologation team in Supercars, and announced an alliance between all teams, General Motors Motorsports and Chevrolet Racing.

After a weeks-long search, triggered by Triple Eight's switch to Ford, Team 18 has been confirmed as the official homologation partner of Chevrolet Racing.

The Melbourne-based, Charlie Schwerkolt-owned team has campaigned GM machinery since 2015, with Team 18 operating as a two-car squad since 2020.

Team 18 won out in a race that seemed set to be won by PremiAir Racing, with the former to take over from Ford-bound Triple Eight next season. Since the start of 2024, Schwerkolt has recruited decorated engineers Adrian Burgess and Dr Geoff Slater, with the team also benefiting from the experience of Richard Hollway, Som Sharma and Andrew Donnelly.

Also confirmed Friday was that GM Motorsports, along with General Motors Australia & New Zealand, will form a new alliance with Chevrolet teams as part of its ongoing commitment to Supercars.

GM said it will continue to work with Supercars, Team 18, and all Chevrolet teams to provide transparency and input throughout the homologation process.

"Today marks an exciting new chapter for Team 18 Racing. There is no doubt that these are big shoes to fill, but I believe we have the team, the machinery, and the talent to do it,” Schwerkolt said.

“GM and Chevrolet Racing are a powerhouse for a reason, and everyone, at every level, has been fantastic in welcoming our team to the fold.

While Team 18 will be Chevrolet Racing’s official homologation partner, GM will call upon the expertise of the entire Camaro field to boost the alliance.

“Our motorsport activities around the world are driven by three things; our passionate customers and fans, our cutting-edge technical innovation, and our incredible people,” said Eric Warren, Executive Director of Global Motorsports Competition.

“Whether it’s Supercars, or any other race series that Chevrolet competes in across the globe, we are there to win, and we’re looking forward to working with Team 18 and all the Chevy Camaro teams in any way we can, to achieve that goal.”

GM has recently made major moves in the wake of Triple Eight’s Ford move, locking in KRE Race Engines as its engine supplier, and signing Triple Eight tech guru Jeromy Moore.

GM Motorsports said it will take responsibility to ensure the competitiveness of the car and engine in Supercars.

Additionally, the alliance will have a connection back to GM Motorsports, giving teams and drivers opportunities to compete outside of Supercars. That includes building and facilitating more direct relationships with NASCAR teams.

Team 18 and Chevrolet teams will have access to GM Motorsport's technical resources in the USA, including state-of-the-art development and engineering advancements.

“GM has had an incredible 60-plus-year history of success in Supercars racing in Australia and New Zealand, and we know that Supercars fans love the Chevrolet brand,” said Jess Bala, Managing Director GM Australia and New Zealand.

"Participation in Supercars also enables us to showcase our GMSV portfolio, which includes the purpose-built Silverado, the performance of the Corvette range, and the new GMC Yukon Denali, which will be launched in the coming months. But we also just love the series, the excitement, the fans, and the racing.”

Chevrolet is also represented in Supercars by PremiAir, Erebus Motorsport, Matt Stone Racing and Brad Jones Racing, with the latter recently linked to Toyota.