2019 SUPERCARS GRID: THE FULL ENTRY LIST

Every car and driver that will feature on the 2019 Supercars Championship grid …

STORY: WILL DALE
IMAGE: SUPPLIED

THE confirmation of Garry Jacobson at Kelly Racing means we now have a full entry list for the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

This year’s grid features 24 cars – down two from last year – with changes almost across the board.

The most visible is the arrival of the Ford Mustang GT, replacing the venerable Falcon FG X at DJR Team Penske, Tickford Racing and 23Red Racing. Only six will be on the grid; one less Ford than on last year’s pre-season entry list after Matt Stone Racing’s switch to Holden in the middle of last year.

Four Nissan Altimas will be on the grid in 2019 as Kelly Racing embarks on its first season running the machines without factory backing, while the remaining 16 slots on the grid will be filled by Holden Commodores as the ZB-model lines up for its sophomore campaign.

Between them, the 24 drivers on the grid have 2440 championship rounds-worth of experience, a figure substantially lighter than last year courtesy of the departure of veterans Craig Lowndes (294 starts), Garth Tander (282) and Michael Caruso (160).

With the departure of Lowndes, it’s Rick Kelly who becomes the most experienced driver on the grid, while James Courtney takes over the mantle as the most senior.

At the other end of the spectrum, Jacobson and Macauley Jones are the only rookies on the grid in 2019, both drivers graduating from the Dunlop Super2 Series with the teams they co-drove for in last year’s Pirtek Enduro Cup.

All 24 drivers will hit the track for the first time together in 2019 at the preseason Supercars test day at Phillip Island on February 14.