Momentum outweighs 'A-grade' swipes for GM boss

GM Motorsports Supercars Racing Program Manager Simon McNamara feels there is genuine momentum on the Camaro front as a strong end to 2026 continued at Sandown.

While Anton De Pasquale and Jack Le Brocq were both eliminated, Camaros have been a feature of the front in races at the last three rounds, with De Pasquale falling just short of victory in the Sandown finale.

Behind him was the mightily impressive Cooper Murray, who delivered a stunning podium in just his second appearance for PremiAir Racing.

GM swung big changes post-Bathurst, moving Declan Fraser aside for Murray, who in turn was replaced at Erebus Motorsport by rookie Jarrod Hughes.

Amid questions over the future of David Reynolds, GM is suddenly blessed with a potential abundance of rising stars to support De Pasquale, with Murray, Hughes, Zach Bates and Jayden Ojeda all starring at times this year, while Lochie Dalton, Bayley Hall and Harri Jones all stood tall in the enduros.

Bates and Jack Le Brocq both extended with Matt Stone Racing, with Murray and Ojeda also carrying over into 2027 with PremiAir.

It all comes amid a public pursuit of championship leader Matt Payne, who is committed to Penrite Racing through to the end of 2027.

It was the performance of Murray and PremiAir, though, which put a pep in McNamara's step, given the #36 PremiAir Camaro easily kept a raft of championship heavyweights in the rearview mirror.

"We feel the momentum's swinging, it's what we've been working towards," McNamara said on Supercars' Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast.

"It's a bittersweet day to have three cars in the 10, two from this amazing team [PremiAir], and Anton did a great job, and not get one through [to the Grand Final].

"But as I said to Pete, their team got their results off genuine speed and beat some amazing teams and amazing drivers."

Commentary on GM at the start of the year was punctuated by Erebus CEO Barry Ryan's comments that the Camaro fleet had no "A-grade" drivers.

McNamara much prefers to focus on what GM has, rather than lament what they don't — and at current, it appears the Chevrolet squadron is heading in the right direction, with or without Payne.

The clearest sign of such progress emerged on Sunday, with De Pasquale and Murray put two Camaros on the podium for the first time in a Supercars race since the 2025 Sandown finale.

"The driver thing, people can say whatever they like," McNamara said.

"We know what we've got. We're doing a good job with all of them, and hopefully a better job as we go forward.

"But yeah, momentum feels like a good thing."