Cooper Murray takes PremiAir Racing's first solo podium
Murray qualified career-best third, raced to third on Sunday
Victorian has signed on with PremiAir Racing until 2028
It's a movie that has been seen before in Supercars, but Cooper Murray's breakthrough podium could be the start of something bigger for PremiAir Racing.
PremiAir have been on a rollercoaster in recent years. In between the high points of podiums at the 2024 Sandown 500 and 2025 Bathurst 1000 were frustrating lows, while the team have also been at the centre of several mid-season driver swaps.
But an overarching theme of the past few seasons has been that the potential shown on occasion hasn't been able to be utilised consistently.
Team owner Peter Xiberras hasn't been backwards in coming forwards, and the acquisition of Roland Dane as Team Principal, after a period as a team consultant in 2025, was perhaps his biggest move yet.
Dane knew there was potential to be unlocked, saying upon his signing: "Working with the team this year has allowed me to really get a deep understanding of how the team operates and how they all work together, there are definitely some good points with this team but also room for improvement which I'm keen to get involved with next year."
Dane's notoriously high standards have been on full display at time through the season, notably as Declan Fraser struggled to get the same performance as standout rookie Jayden Ojeda.
Ojeda was given as two-round head start at the end of 2025, replacing the departed Richie Stanaway, and securing a Top Ten Shootout berth in Adelaide.
Fraser's struggles came to a head in Townsville, where Dane declared in his typically blunt way that the second PremiAir Camaro was "not in the right postcode."
As part of a General Motors-orchestrated swap, Murray was released from his Erebus Motorsport drive early to join PremiAir, and was immediately on the pace on the Gold Coast.
It was only an error on fuel that prevented Murray from a top six in his second start with the team, and while Dane was typically forthright in his reaction, the team didn't drop their heads.
According to Dane, it's just the start of something great for PremiAir: “It’s a great day for PremiAir Racing. I couldn’t be happier for the team, and particularly for Cooper.
“It’s also a reward for Peter and Carmen Xiberras and all the effort they’ve put in over the past five years.
"Our first podium of the year is a real reward for the team as a whole, and I look forward to us achieving plenty more together in the future."
PremiAir rose to ninth in the teams's standings ahead of the final round of 2026 at the bp Adelaide Grand Final from November 26-29.
