2021 Supercars and Supports

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Nice about Reynolds. Can he finally do good over an entire year, or will be labelled as a Bathurst specialist in the future? He's great there, but he needs to be great everywhere.

(when he drove 700km but passed out while leading with just a few laps to go the other year is one of my favourite racing moments in recent years. Heroic.)

Yeah David has always been one of my favourites in the Supercars field.... always gives his all, and I guess I just like seeing a bit of a larrikin on the grid, someone who is always likely to do or say something 'unusual'.

Good luck to him

Sadly Erebus I think will be looking at a lean year, given their loss of Reynolds, De Pasquale, many engineering staff plus of course their primary backing from Penrite. A lot of what was the team gone and pretty much a fresh start. I feel sorry for Betty Klimenko team owner and Matriarch, as she is another one of the Supercars characters.

So good luck also to Erebus. I do believe though that Kostecki and Brown are both handy for "full time rookies". (Both have done co-driver roles in Supercars main tier, but neither have done a full time gig before)

[Cheeveer]

Sadly Erebus I think will be looking at a lean year, given their loss of Reynolds, De Pasquale, many engineering staff plus of course their primary backing from Penrite. A lot of what was the team gone and pretty much a fresh start. I feel sorry for Betty Klimenko team owner and Matriarch, as she is another one of the Supercars characters.

So good luck also to Erebus. I do believe though that Kostecki and Brown are both handy for "full time rookies". (Both have done co-driver roles in Supercars main tier, but neither have done a full time gig before)

Absolutely, she's awesome. Passionate is only the beginning.

[theracer120]

Jacobson has been confirmed at Team Sydney so the grid is now finalised.

https://www.supercars.com/news/champion ... locked-in/

[theracer120]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2021/01/22/la ... cast-team/

Mark Larkham has agreed to return after being inexplicably dropped from the broadcast a few weeks back

[Everso Biggyballies]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2021/01/22/la ... cast-team/

Mark Larkham has agreed to return after being inexplicably dropped from the broadcast a few weeks back

Great to hear..... I always thought his segments were the best V8 stuff around. He made tech stuff interesting and easy to understand.

Hope he has squeezed them for a few extra $$ for their ill considered stupidity and subsequent U-turn.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Erebus show off new (Penrite free) testing / interim livery.

With the loss of Penrite, who quit Erebus with David Reynolds to join Kelly Grove Racing, Erebus have unveiled an interim testing livery showing no major naming sponsor, just a series of minor partner stickers with the Erebus logo taking up a lot of space.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Walkinshaw Andretti United has revealed Bryce Fullwood’s bold new livery

[Everso Biggyballies]

SVG and Heimgartner at risk of missing pre-season testing.

Both SVG and Heimgartner travelled to New Zealand to take part in the NZ GP last weekend, travelling at a time when there was a Trans Tasman Covid bubble which allows them to return from NZ without the need to isolate for 14 days. However whilst away that 'loophole' was closed off, their return flights were cancelled, leaving them stranded in NZ with the knowledge that the likely need for them to quarantine when they return would leave them in isolation when the testing was taking place.

Both teams decided it was worth waiting to see if restrictions eased rather than bringing van Gisbergen and Heimgartner back sooner and undergo quarantine.

The chance is that the Australian Govt will lift the restriction. Currently it is for a period of 72 hours to be reviewed then. Hopefully the need to quarantine will not be necessary. In that hope they are both not attempting to fly out of NZ for the 72 hours, and hope that the law is relaxed. The 72-hour halt on quarantine-free travel is slated to end at 14:00 AEDT on Thursday, but could be extended.

Should they not be able to return without quarantine it is likely Kelly Grove Racing will ask the recently retired team part owner Rick Kelly to test the Ned sponsored Mustang in Heimgartners place. No stand in has been mentioned for SVG at Red Bull, although i'm sure either Lowndes or Tander, the Red Bull enduro co-drivers would be able to cover.

SVG will as a result of the delay miss the 2021 Red Bull Livery launch at the end of this week.

As an aside Heimgartner also tore a tendon in his thumb with whiplash from the steering wheel in a contact he had over the weekend. Also the thumb was fractured. No surgery is needed and he is wearing a brace . He raced ok with it in the NZ GP final race, with the aid of pain killers and strapping. Should be ok for the season start even if he misses the test in quarantine.

[Everso Biggyballies]

David Reynolds becomes a Father,,,,

David, with partner Tahan Lew Fatt have welcomed the birth to the couple’s first child.

Baby boy Ryu Reynolds arrived in the early hours of Monday morning after a 24 hour labour!

So this year has seen a new job, new team and now a new baby. All go in the Reynolds household.

[MonteCristo]

*looks at the date*

Yeah, lockdown baby .

[Everso Biggyballies]

Update on SVG and Heimgartner returning to Oz....

Further to the above story regarding the risk of SVG and Heimgartner missing testing, as explained they both chose to stay in NZ to sit out the 72hour period where the immigration without quarantine from NZ was removed, with further cases of Covid being recorded in NZ during that time, the ban has been extended by another 72 hours. Of course there is every chance that it will further be extended. The extension is slated to end on January 31 at 14:00 AEDT but as mentioned could be further extended by the Australian Government.

I would think SVG is going to be in trouble, the reason being that RBR are testing in Queensland on Feb 12th, so he will it seems be in his mandatory 14 day isolation with the situation as it stands. The new cases in NZ are said to be the more dangerous South African strain which I don't believe we have seen yet in Aus so the Govt will be strict and likely to err on the side of caution. I cannot see the need for the guys to quarantine being relaxed, certainly making it difficult for SVG to test.

As for Heimgartner, Kelly Racing, being Victorian based are testing at Winton in Victoria but their date is not until Feb 16th, and so is still in with a chance. His main problem now is the torn tendon and fractured thumb sustained racing in NZ, has now been re-diagnosed as a fractured finger as well. Prognosis is that he will be needing to wear a brace right up until the first race of the season at Bathurst February 26th. (The Bathurst 500, 2 x 250 klm races AFAIK which will be round 1 of the 2021 Sprint Championship. Obviously they will return to Bathurst for the October 1000klm classic as well.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Red Bull T888 launch livery and confirm enduro pairings.

T888 formally launched the new livery of their Red Bull backed car today, albeit without SVG still stranded in NZ (see bove).
In Holden’s (the team is no longer the Holden works team given Holden is no longer a manufacturer) in place on its race cars, Ampol has moved up to co-naming rights status alongside Red Bull in a look which the team describes as “an eye-catching blue camouflage design”.

Automotive retailer Supercheap Auto has also joined Triple Eight’s partnership portfolio, as announced earlier this week, while the Lion badge remains on the grille of the car.

They also formally announced that Tander and Lowndes will continue to partner SVG and Whincup for the enduro so driver races. No surprises there as it was effectively known and contracted but formalised today.

Frankly still a boring livery IMHO but lots of stickers mean lots of budget so thats life.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Woohooo Fans allowed to return to Supercars races, with a few restrictions.


After a season of more or less no or limited spectators things are returning to normal in Aus.

Fans will be allowed paddock access when the Supercars season gets underway at Mount Panorama.

Now those restrictions have been eased, meaning fans will be able to get behind the pit garages to see drivers, cars, and crew at the season opener.

The Repco Mount Panorama 500 will see the return of spectators to the top of The Mountain, unrestricted by zoning.

Last year’s Bathurst 1000 saw just 4000 fans confined to the bottom of the circuit per day.

The first event of 2021 will see the return of camping at the top and the bottom of the venue.

Supercars has said spectators are welcome to bring their own chairs as long as they socially distance themselves.

Merchandise, food, and bars will be operating across the three days.

Face masks will need to be worn in certain parts of the facility. Guidance will be available at entry points to the circuit.

Camping, general admission, grandstand tickets, and paddock passes for the opening event of the season, slated for February 26-28, are on sale.

AFAIK the lifting of crow restrictions will only cover Supercars at this stage, with the Phillip Island Classic (Historic) meeting still a no spectator event despite its usual large crowds. Hopefully that will change in the coming days.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Van Gisbergen, Heimgartner able to test after travel reprieve

After all the dramas and would they wont they need to quarantine, no further recent infections in New Zealand has allowed our govt to reinstate the Trans Tasman bubble that was suspended due to a number of infections in NZ recently, thus paving the way for Shane van Gisbergen and Andre Heimgartner to partake in pre-season Supercars testing and return home to Aus from NZ with no quarantine..

[Everso Biggyballies]

More new liveries unveiled.

Chas Mostert. WAU Commodore.




Tickford Racing’s Truck Assist Mustang livery for Jack Le Brocq





Andre Heimgartner’s Kelly Grove Racing #7 Ned Whisky Ford Mustang.

[Everso Biggyballies]

WAU confirm Holdsworth and Luff as co-drivers for Bathurst 1000.

Walkinshaw Andretti United has signed Lee Holdsworth for its Bathurst 1000 campaign with Chaz Mostert. Holdsworth was dropped by Tickford when they went from a 4 car team to 3 for this season and with late call leaving nothing much on the table, leaving him out of the Supercars full time circus.

As mentioned elsewhere Holdsworth is also driving in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series. for Alfa Romeo.

The team has also re-signed Warren Luff, who will partner Bryce Fullwood in the second Holden ZB Commodore.





Tickford unveil the Boost Mustang livery for James Courtney.

More a re-jig and no major change from last year.