Walkinshaw Considers Fourth Car
Walkinshaw Racing has revealed it is considering an expansion to four cars in 2014.
The move by the owner of the Holden Racing Team and Supercheap Auto Racing is considered a long-shot to succeed, but is being examined as a way to keep Nick Percat within the organisation.
“I don’t rule it out but it’s slim at the moment because finding the money is tough,” Walkinshaw Racing owner Ryan Walkinshaw told v8supercars.com.au.
“We would only do it if we think we can do it as a business and we can give Nick a car he can go and win races in. It’s got to be good for both of us really.”
Percat, who won Bathurst in 2011 with Garth Tander in an HRT Commodore, has a driving contract with Walkinshaw Racing that expires at the end of 2013.
The 25-year old missed out on the Supercheap Auto Racing drive for 2014, with Tim Slade moving from Erebus Motorsport to take over the seat from Russell Ingall.
He finished fourth in the 2012 Dunlop Series in a Walkinshaw Racing Holden Commodore with support from long-term backer Coates Hire.
In 2013 he and Coates Hire moved to the Porsche Carrera Cup and Team BRM. He runs third in the points leading into this weekend’s final round on the Gold Coast.
There has been speculation linking Percat with a number of drives along the V8 Supercars pitlane, but clearly there is a desire within the Walkinshaw organisation to retain the South Australian if it can.
“I have a lot of respect for Nick Percat and I would love to have him in one of our cars in the future,” said Walkinshaw.
“I am actively working on how we could make that happen, maybe not next year.
“It would be great if we could make that happen next year but it’s a difficult situation.
“There is not a huge amount of money lying around in pitlane at the moment sponsorship-wise. There is absolutely no point in us bringing in a car with which we are just going to lose money.”
Walkinshaw Racing last ran four cars in the V8 Supercars Championship in 2010 when Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson raced in Bundaberg Red colours.
Coulthard ran again in 2011 in a Bundaberg-backed Commodore before Ingall and the Supercheap deal arrived in 2012.
Walkinshaw said there were a number of Racing Entitlements Contracts (RECs) being offered in pitlane for 2014 placement, so that aspect of adding a car would not be an issue. A REC is a licence to race a car in the Championship and one is allocated against each of the 28 cars on the grid.
“But they cost a lot of money to run for a year and that’s the issue,” Walkinshaw added.
“Just going out and getting a REC and running another car at a loss is of no worth for any one. It’s no good for us and it’s no good for Nick.”
