The burning questions lingering over 2026 silly season

As the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship shifts into Ryco Enduro Cup mode, the silly season crept into the news cycle in the leadup to the AirTouch 500 at The Bend.

There are officially eight seats available across six teams for the 2026 season, however that number could rise with the nature of silly season.

No one has made a move yet in this silly season, save for Triple Eight's move to future-proof their driver lineup of Will Brown and Broc Feeney through to the end of the decade.

However, announcements will have to be made sooner rather than later, and once one domino falls, expect that to trigger several announcements until the 2026 grid is set.

As silly season continues to bubble away in the background, Supercars.com takes a look at some of the key questions to be answered by teams ahead of the 2026 season.

Will BJR retains status quo amid Hill links?

There will be wholesale change at Brad Jones Racing with Toyota coming onboard for 2026 and beyond, however whether there will be any changes to the driver roster remains a hot topic. Team leader Andre Heimgartner is locked in for 2026, however none of Bryce Fullwood, Macauley Jones, or Jaxon Evans have been officially announced for next season. Jones senior has indicated that son Macauley will go around again in 2026, whilst the SCT Motorsport camp will have the final say on who pilots their entry, though Kiwi Evans is highly thought of within the team. That leaves former Super2 champion Fullwood, who despite claiming the team's only podium of the season to date, is no certainty to remain in Albury. Cameron Hill has been linked with the team for several months amid a downturn in form at Matt Stone Racing, and now has race-winning pedigree to match Heimgartner. Will BJR retain status quo amid the manufacturer change, or will we see a driver change?

Will Team 18 take up Reynolds option?

There's no hiding from what has been a trying Ryco Sprint Cup for David Reynolds. Having shown promising pace to end 2024, the veteran has been thoroughly outgunned by new teammate Anton De Pasquale in 2025. The 2017 Bathurst winner sits just 18th in points, a whopping 11 positions behind De Pasquale, and despite claiming a pole in Townsville, is getting soundly beaten in both head-to-head matchups; 18-5 in races, and 19-6 in qualifying. Team principal Adrian Burgess has defended Reynolds several times this season, and stated that the car hasn't been up to the task. But with Chevrolet putting their faith in Team 18 as their brand new homologation partner, both cars need to be fighting up the front sooner rather than later. The team retain the option to extend the popular larrikin for another year, however Carrera Cup star Harri Jones will be looking to put his best foot forward when he joins De Pasquale at the enduros.

What next for MSR?

It seemed almost impossible that Matt Stone's eponymous team would find themselves in this situation after a stunning 1-2 in Melbourne, however there is a real possibility it could be all change for 2026. Cameron Hill's BJR links have come at a time where he has plummeted out of a provisional Finals berth, whilst Nick Percat hasn't hit the same heights that saw him win two races in 2024. As a result, Stone is reportedly considering starting with a clean slate in 2026, with Jack Le Brocq potentially returning to the team with whom he won in Darwin back in 2023. Super2 champion and BJR co-driver Declan Fraser has also been linked to MSR. Losing two genuine race winners could be a big turning point for MSR, who have emerged as real underdogs in the Gen3 era, but could changes see them return to winning ways?

Are Erebus ready to promote more youth?

It has been a tried and tested method for Erebus to turn to youth in the driver market over the last 10 years. Anton De Pasquale was nurtured from rookie to race winner in his three year stint at the team, whilst the all-youth lineup of Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown turned into a dominant force in the 2023 season. Much has been made of what has happened with the team both at the track and away from it since the start of last year, and it seems as though out the other side there will be another youth shift in the driver lineup. Cooper Murray is locked in for next year, however Jack Le Brocq appears to be on his way out, with two in-house replacements topping the candidates list in the shape of Erebus Academy Super2 prospects Jobe Stewart and Jarrod Hughes. Such a move would be with a view to medium to long-term success, however whether the potential of a young lineup matches that of the Kostecki/Brown combo will only be told with time.

Are PremiAir again prepared for change?

After such a promising end to the 2024 season saw James Golding claim a personal best 7th in points, this year has been anything but smooth sailing for PremiAir Racing. With Golding and new recruit Richie Stanaway just 16th and 20th in points following the Repco Sprint Cup, this season has fallen well short of expectations for Peter Xiberras' team. Xiberras has shown he isn't afraid to swing the changes if results aren't up to scratch, notably sacking Garry Jacobson just six rounds into their first-ever season, whilst several off-track staff have come and gone since the team debuted in 2022. Change is thought to be coming to PremiAir once again in this off season, with the likes of co-driver Nash Morris thought to be a potential option, and WAU co-driver Jayden Ojeda firming for a full-time seat.

Can BRT convince a veteran to join?

James Courtney's retirement is only looming larger for Blanchard Racing Team, and when he departs, he will leave a vacuum of experience that desperately needs to be filled. Aaron Cameron has done a solid job since being thrown into the fire in the wake of Aaron Love's sudden departure, and claimed maiden top 10 qualifying and race results last time out in Ipswich, with team owner Tim Blanchard indicating his preference to keep the versatile Victorian into next season. Cameron will need an experienced benchmark alongside to continue his learning curve, and there are plenty of potential candidates who could prove a valuable asset to the team going forward. Should they emerge as free agents, David Reynolds, Jack Le Brocq, Bryce Fullwood, and James Golding could all make good signings. Technical partners WAU will also cease their support as they move to Toyota, with a Triple Eight alliance a logical step for BRT to take from next year.