Triple Eight reveals wildcard, announce Darwin entry
Triple Eight Race Engineering has revealed the first wildcard of the Gen3 era, and announced Zane Goddard will also race in Darwin.
Triple Eight took the covers off the #888 Supercheap Auto Camaro at Maritime Green Northshore in Brisbane on Saturday.
Wildcard drivers Goddard and Craig Lowndes were on hand to reveal the entry's test day livery, along with Broc Feeney, Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup.
Lowndes and Goddard will share the car at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000.
The team also announced that Goddard will make his first solo appearance since 2021 at next month’s betr Darwin Triple Crown.
The wildcard Camaro will be engineered by former Triple Eight race-winning engineer Wes McDougall.
McDougal skippered Whincup’s final season in 2021, and returned to Matt Stone Racing in 2023.
The #888 Camaro will make its track debut at Triple Eight’s first mid-season test day on June 1 at Queensland Raceway.
'In Supercars, I’ve never had a brand-new car to race'
The team will then reveal an Indigenous-themed livery for the Darwin round, and later, an enduro livery.
The wildcard Camaro will also be backed by ACDelco, Century Batteries, Bendix, Bosch, Sony, Sperling, TurtleWax and ToolPRO X.
"In Supercars, I’ve never had a brand-new car to race, so that’s a really cool experience,” Goddard said.
"Usually, the cars I’ve had in the past have been hand-me-downs from Jamie and Shane, but to have a brand-new car is a cool opportunity.
"There’s going to be certain things to learn from a new car once we shake it down, but those are the experiences I’m really looking forward to.
“It’s also a great opportunity for me to have a standalone wildcard entry in Darwin and get some laps under my belt before the enduro season.
"I’ve obviously raced full-time before, but to also have a chance in the car to show what I can do is really cool."
Lowndes added: "I’ve worked with Zane over the last couple of years throughout the early stages of Supercars’ Gen3 development.
Goddard last raced in Darwin in 2021
"I’m excited to finally share this beast of a car with him when we have our first test day at the start of June.
"Any laps in these new cars are invaluable, and hopefully he gets more comfortable with the car and the team before enduro season really kicks off later in the year.
"As I’ve mentioned before, Zane’s a fantastic young kid with great speed and a great head on his shoulders, and his return to the main game is truly deserved."
Team boss Whincup was excited to hand Goddard his first solo start in nearly two years.
“I’m thrilled that Zane will get a standalone event in Darwin for him to get comfortable in these Gen3 cars,” Whincup said.
“It’s a great opportunity for our engineers and mechanics to gel as a team before an intense enduro season later in the year.
"I think continuing with another unique combination of youth and experience with Zane and Craig at Sandown and Bathurst will prove to be a competitive pairing.”
The 2023 season will resume at Hidden Valley Raceway on June 16-18. All three Triple Eight Camaros will test next week.
The Penrite Oil Sandown 500 will be held on September 15-17, followed by the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.
