Team 18 deploys heavyweights for crucial test
Craig Lowndes joins rookie Bayley Hall at The Bend
Hall to make Supercars debut in Ipswich this month
Bayley Hall had plenty of firepower in his corner for a crucial test ahead of his Supercars debut.
Rising star Hall will get behind the wheel of Team 18’s Supercheap Auto Chevrolet Camaro for the upcoming Ipswich round, before contesting the enduros with Craig Lowndes.
Hall shared The Bend Motorsport Park on Friday with a host of Supercars rookies, but had plenty of support on his side as he acquainted himself with the #15 Camaro, save for an intermittent electrical issue.
Lowndes was on site to support Hall, along with the likes of Team Principal Adrian Burgess and veteran engineer Richard Hollway.
A notable name trackside was veteran Supercars crew chief Dennis Huijser, who has rejoined Team 18 to run its wildcard Camaro.
Huijser recently parted ways with the Blanchard Racing Team, having first joined the Ford team midway through 2025. He returns to Team 18, where he started as Crew Chief before stepping up as Team Manager in a stint between 2022 and 2024.
“My first day as a Team 18 driver is done and dusted, and it was great to finally get behind the wheel of the Supercheap Auto Racing Chevrolet Camaro," Hall said.
“The West Circuit is very different, but it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the day. We had a few electrical issues that interrupted our running, but the team worked hard to resolve them and we still achieved some important things.
“Once we fitted new tyres at the end of the day, I was able to get a proper feel for the car and gain a better understanding of what it needs.
“Now we turn our attention to Queensland Raceway and my solo wildcard entry. I’m finally going to make my Supercars main game debut, so I’m really keen to get there, push hard and see what we can achieve before we look ahead to the Enduro Cup.”
Also testing at The Bend on Friday were rookies Zach Bates (Matt Stone Racing), Rylan Gray (Dick Johnson Racing), Jackson Walls (Triple Eight) and Jayden Ojeda (PremiAir Racing), while Walkinshaw TWG Racing tested an upgraded engine.
Hall will commence his maiden Supercars weekend at Queensland Raceway on Friday August 21.
