Hello and Welcome back to my blog, today we will have a look at the 5 rookies entering the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars series. After a lot of drivers moved around in the Silly season we now have a locked in field for the up coming season. We also said good bye to a few drivers who decided to hang up the helmet. Jason Bright called time on his Supercar career after 572 race starts along with Todd Kelly who also retired after debuting in the series in 1999. Dale Wood also gave up his drive after deciding it was best for the team and himself.
This has left a hole in the field which has been filled by 5 new rookies, Richie Stanaway, Todd Hazelwood, James Golding, Anton De Pasquale and Jack LeBrocq all make the step up into the main game. ( All drives had competed in the feeder series in 2017) We will good through each driver and I will rate their chances in 2018.
Richie Stanaway
The 26 year old from New Zealand has the motorsports world a buzz in anticipation for his maiden year the Supercars Series. Having competed along side Chris Pither (2016) and Camera Waters (2017) in the Pertik Enduro Cup for Tickford Racing (formally Prodrive Australia). He already is a winner in the series after he and Camera Waters won the Sandown 500 in 2017 with a dominate display after starting the race on pole. The New Zealander has also tasted success overseas after claiming the 2011 German Formula 3 Championship, picking up 2 race wins in GP3 another 2 race wins in GP2 as well as becoming a factory driver for Aston Martin in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Stanaway return back to Australia with the goal of becoming a full time Supercar driver, Prodrive (Tickford Racing) signed him as to their Pertik Enduro Cup driver line up as well has giving him a Wildcard Entry into a Super2 series race in Sydney in 2017. Stanaway contested 4 race starts in the Super2 picking up 2 3rd placings, 1 4th and a race win.
Stanaway is replacing Jason Bright who left Prodrive ( Tickford Racing). The team has a lot to prove in 2018 with one of the strongest driver line ups on the grid they will want to improve on their 2017 result after only picking up 4 race wins over the season.
2018 Stanaway has a great opportunity of picking a race wins, I believe we will see him fighting at the front end of the grid.
Rating 8/10
Todd Hazelwood
Picture - 0-100 Motorsport
The 22 year old from Adelaide, South Australia, claimed the 2017 Dunlop Super2 series which consisted of 2 3rd places, 5 2nd place finishes and 6 race wins. Its hard to believe after such a strong showing this year coming into the 2017 series he had yet to win a race in the series.
Todd shot to fame after entering a reality TV program (Shannons Supercar Showdown) in 2013 on a whim. With his sights set on Europe and the single seater racing Hazelwood never really considered Supercars as an option until he won the competition and getting to become a test driver for then Ford Performance Racing (Tickford Racing). After a successful test he was given a chance to race in the development series ( Super2s) with Matt Stone racing in 2014.
Hazelwood finished 8th in his 1st full season in the category and signed on to stay at Matt Stone racing again for 2015 where he finished 4th overall and picked up his 1st podium finish after claiming 3rd in Sydney in the final round of the year. 2016 seen Todd once again stay with Matt Stone but this year switched from a Ford Falcon FG to a Holden Commodore VF, Hazelwood finished the season with 4 3rd place positions and finished 3rd in the standing overall.
2017 was his year to shine as stated before, he claimed 13 podium finishes and won the title. After he claimed the title in Newcastle news broke that both Hazelwood and Matt Stone racing were making the step up to the main series. Matt Stone had purchased 2 Ford Falcons from Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske (DJRTP).
2018 could be a huge struggle for both Todd and the Team, they will have to get used to racing in such a competitive field and get used to having longer races with more strategy involved, as well as they will travel to circuits that he has not raced on and will have to learn them on the fly. A positive is this will be Hazelwoods 5th year with Matt Stone and keeping with the same personal that helped him win the 2017 Super2 Championship.
I can see Todd struggling at the beginning of the season, but it wont take him long to get his footing, I don't see race wins in his 1st year but expect him to be running in the upper mid pack.
Rating 7/10
James Golding
Golding had a quite year in 2017, after the 22 year old missed out on a full time drive in the Super2s, but secured a wildcard entry into the Virgin Australia Supercars Series for rounds 5 and 8.
Golding is a multiple Victorain karting Champion, he tasted mild success in Australian Formula Ford Championship having finished 3rd overall in 2014 after 2 years in the championship. Golding was also a contestant on the Shannons Supercar Showdown in 2013 but was ultimately beaten by Todd Hazelwood for the top prize.
Golding has raced in the Super2 series since 2015 and finsihed 4th overall in 2016, with 6 2nd places and 2 race wins. James will enter the Virgin Australia Supercar Championship racing for the same team that he raced for in the Super2s, Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM). He has also raced for GRM in 2016 and 2017 in the Pertik Enduro cup, where his best finish was 4th in Sandown driving alongside Gath Tander.
Golding showed a lot of maturity in 2017 after losing his drive, he continued to work for GRM as a race mechanic, as well as keeping race fit. 2018 will be a learning year for Golding, GRM had a tough year in 2017 after losing Volvo backing and returning to the Holden Commodore. The team should have a better understanding of the cars this season and should be back up the field.
I can see Golding racing in the back pack this year, with a good showing we should see him move up the field in the later stages of the season.
Rating 5/10
Jack LeBrocq
The 25 year old from Melbourne made his Super2 debut in 2014 with Image Racing, where he struggled finished 13th overall and only picking up 5 top 10 finishes.
2015 LeBrocq moved to Matt White Motorsport, he had a much more competitive season, finishing 3rd over all, with 5 3rd places and 1 2nd place. 2016 saw another move to a different team, this time moving to the factory back Prodrive Australia (Tickford Racing). LeBrocq picked up 7 race wins along with 2 other podium finishes but missed out on the title to team mate Garry Jaconson.
2017 LeBrocq once again moved teams having been dropped by Prodrive, this saw a return to Matt White and a new car, 2017 Matt White had purchased 2 Nissan Altima from Nissan Motorsport, this proved to be a wise decision with Jack finished on the podium 11 times out of 21 races. His season consisted of 4 3rd finishes, 3 2nds and 4 race wins. Yet LeBrocq only managed for finish 3rd overall. He had a few run ins with his team mate Shae Davies which cost him a few points with both times he recorded a DNF.
LeBrocq was picked up by Tekno Autosports after they let Will Davison go at the end of the 2017 season. Tekno Autosports are currently in a rebuilding process, they have had a lot of team personal changes and go into 2018 with their backs against the wall.
Due to the team, I do not see LeBrocq up the front and winning races, I see Tekno and LeBrocq running at the back of the field most of the season, if they get a top 10 it will be due to luck going their way.
Rating 4/10
Anton de Pasquale
The 22 year old from Werribee South, returned home from Europe in 2016 after competing in the Formula Renault 1.6 NEC in 2014 and the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2015. de Pasquale won the 2014 Formula Renault 1.6 NEC Championship after claiming 9 race wins and 3 2nd place finishes, Anton struggled in the 2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series after recording only 1 finish in the points and only contesting the 1st 5 rounds. he finished 18th overall.
Having returned back to Australia he was given a drive in the Super2s series with Paul Morris Motorsport, he finish the season 11th overall and collected a podium finish at Bathurst picking up 3rd. He return to the 2017 season again with Paul Morris Motorsport , he struggled at the start of the season only recording 2 4th place finishes after the 1st 7 races. Anton went on to win 2 races and finished 2nd 4 times that season on his was to finishing 4th overall.
de Pasquale was signed by Erebus Motorsport after Dale Wood announced he was stepping down from full time racing. Erebus has shown some great signs in the 2017 season, and should be pushing for more top 10 finishes and fighting for race wins. It has yet to be announced if Anton is having to support his drive with sponsors or Erebus will foot the bill for his car, as Dale Wood and their previous driver in 2016 for both pay drivers and had to pay for the upgrades on their own cars. This lead to the main car which is driven by David Reynolds to be much faster and competitive then the sister car.
If Anton and Reynolds have the same machinery then I can see Anton running midpack, if his car is still lacking the upgrades Anton will have no choice but to be racing in the back pack.
Rating 4/10
Thank you for reading my post, if you liked it please follow me and leave a comment. Join me next time where I will go though the field and compile of list of drivers who will put on a strong showing in 2018.
Until next time.
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