Tickford locks in 2023 engineering line-up

Tickford Racing has confirmed its 2023 engineering line-up, which features a change in the #56 garage.

The three incumbent drivers — Cam Waters, James Courtney and Thomas Randle — will have the same engineers year-on-year.

Chief Engineer Brad Wischusen, Waters will be engineered by Sam Potter, Courtney by Sam Scaffidi and Randle by Raymond Lau.

Newcomer Declan Fraser will be engineered by Chris Stuckey, who arrives from Matt Stone Racing.

Stuckey most recently engineered Todd Hazelwood’s #35 MSR Commodore.

Fraser, the 2022 Super2 champion, arrives in the place of Jake Kostecki, who was engineered by Rhys Lenegan in 2022.

The news completes the 25-car 2023 engineering line-up.

The Waters/Potter partnership remains unbroken

Leadership remains the same; co-owners Rod Nash and Sven Burchartz are joined by CEO and Team Principal Tim Edwards and Team Manager Matt Roberts.

Roberts and Crew Chief Simon Robinson will also continue their roles as pit stop car controllers.

Tickford will also field two Super2 Mustangs for Elly Morrow and Brad Vaughan, who will be engineered by Daniel Veronese and Dilan Talabani respectively.

Tickford’s Super2 squad will be skippered by Team Manager Kate Harrington.

The Ford squad also recently welcomed its new class of Navy sailors — Leading Seaman Nicholas Reid, Leading Seaman Benjamin Woodley and Able Seaman Quinten Lay — as part of its partnership with Team Navy.

The stability, according to Edwards, is crucial as the team aims to maximise its first year with Gen3 machinery.

“We’re glad to be heading into 2023 with a lot of continuity across our crew,” Edwards said.

“There are a few new faces, but the vast majority are familiar ones. Our returning drivers and engineers are staying paired together, our car crews are virtually unchanged, and just about every department is made up of the same people as we had in 2022.

"We’ve had pretty minimal turnover and for the most part we’ve kept the family together, which heading into a really pivotal year is a really nice thing to have.

“For obvious reasons Gen3 is a huge change. Building four new cars is a massive project, but having those established relationships and dynamics in the workplace gives us confidence that the cars and the team will be well-prepared when we hit the track.

"It’s one less variable we need to navigate this time of year, and we’re optimistic that with that continuity we can position ourselves in the best way possible for the year ahead.”

Tickford will continue testing its new Gen3 Mustangs at Winton this week.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.

Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.

2023 engineering line-ups