GROVE Racing is reserving a brand-new Gen3 chassis to welcome Richie Stanaway back to life as a Repco Supercars Championship full-timer.
The Ford squad was initially cagey about its plans for GR-03 beyond it being used as a show car at Sandown and Bathurst, but it’s now no secret what’s in store for the in-build shell.
Specifically, GR-03 is being set aside for 2024 recruit Stanaway to make his own.
A planned end-of-year shakedown will serve as a prelude to the Winton pre-season test for southern Supercars squads on February 7, and then Round 1 at Mount Panorama across February 23-25.
Stanaway, whose last race ended in a Bathurst 1000 victory alongside Shane van Gisbergen, will replace Team 18-bound David Reynolds while impressive rookie Matt Payne returns for a second season.
Stanaway last week cut his first laps in Grove Racing equipment at a Queensland Raceway ride day.
He will have Alistair McVean as his race engineer next year, while Penrite is now tipped to stay at Groves, contrary to suggestions the oil brand would follow Reynolds to Team 18.
Reynolds won at last start aboard GR-01 on the Gold Coast, while Payne has spent the season in GR-02.
Dick Johnson Racing is also set to allocate a new-for-2024 chassis, DJRS-06, to Anton De Pasquale.
