Final announcements on pairings for the inaugural V8 SuperTourers endurance series are expected to be made this week including a high profile international driver.
With star Kiwi Greg Murphy ruling himself out last week the composition of the field is nearing completion with the inclusion of a couple of full-time V8 Supercars drivers.
There is growing evidence that a key international signing is expected to be made as organisers finalise preparations for the Father’s Day 400 at Ricoh Motorsports Park, Taupo from September 1-2.
Among those pairings awaiting confirmation is the identity of a co-driver for Geoff Emery in the second of the Supercheap Auto Racing Commodores.
The team’s lead car of talented teenager Scott McLaughlin confirmed last week exclusively to Speedcafe.co.nz that Jono Webb will line up in the Commodore for the Taupo event and the other two endurance races – the International 500k at Pukekohe from October 26-28 and the grand finale at Powerbuilt Raceway at Christchurch from November 24-25.
Co-drivers for Tim Edgell, Colin Corkery and Richard Moore have been shored up behind-the-scenes and are expected to be made public sometime this week.
Young open wheel gun Nick Cassidy has replaced Murphy in the leading Mike Perro Commodore as the four-times Bathurst 1000 champion continues to recover after a back operation.
The field so far
1 Nick Cassidy/Jack Perkins (Mike Perro Commodore)
2 Simon McLennan/Craig Innes (M2 Motorsport Commodore)
3 Craig Baird/Chris Pither (United Video Falcon)
4 Will Bamber/Steve Richards (JMR Falcon)
5 John McIntyre/Jono Lester (JMR Falcon)
6 Angus Fogg/Huge Gardiner (AFR Hydraulink Commodore)
7 Matt Halliday/Ant Pedersen (International Motorsport Driven Falcon)
8 Wade Cunningham/Jonny Reid (International Motorsport Drive Falcon)
9 Paul Manuell/Scott Harrison (M3 Racing Commodore)
10 Geoff Emery/TBA (Supercheap Auto Commodore)
11 Scott McLaughlin/Jono Webb (Supercheap Auto Commodore)
12 Andre Heimgartner/Paul Morris (AV8 Commodore)
13 Andy Booth/Tony D’Alberto (AV8 Commodore)
14 Kayne Scott/Simon Evans (Farmer Racing Services Commodore)
15 Colin Corkery/TBA (Racing Projects Falcon)
16 Eddie Bell/Peter Sharmach (EBR Falcon)
17 Daniel Gaunt/Andrew Waite (Tasman Motorsports Group Falcon)
18 Tim Edgell/TBA (Edgell Performance Racing Commodore)
19 Richard Moore/TBA (M3 Racing Commodore)
20 Andy Knight/Alex Davison (Century Batteries Falcon)
