DICK Johnson Racing and the Blanchard Racing Team are set to expand later this year after receiving approval to run Repco Supercars Championship wildcards in the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
V8 Sleuth has learnt an application from each team was signed off on Monday by the Supercars Commission.
It’s understood Monday was the final deadline for entry requests to be lodged for Sandown.
Both teams could yet choose not to follow through with a wildcard, but it is known that the application process is extensive.
If they do proceed, however, it will mean a 28-car grid at the Sandown and Bathurst enduros – with Zane Goddard/Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight) the other addition to the regular field.
For DJR, which runs Shell V-Power Mustangs for Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale, it would mark the first time in the Supercars era that it has run a Great Race wildcard.
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DJR has run customer cars before but never a fully-fledged wildcard of its own.
It’s rumoured the team could be targeting an international driver for the program.
As for single-car squad BRT, it’s not an entirely surprising concept given the team harbours ambitions to expand to two full-time main game cars next year.
BRT took a half step towards doing so this year by fielding Aaron Love in a Petronas-backed Super2 Mustang. Love is presumably in the mix to drive the wildcard.
BRT’s hopes of expanding to two Supercars Championship cars in 2024 could hinge on a scheme whereby RACE is looking to purchase two current Teams Racing Charters, as revealed by V8 Sleuth last month.
Hypothetically, one of those TRCs would be sold to BRT and the other put on the shelf.
Back to 2023, all going to plan, there will be 15 Chevrolets and 13 Fords at Sandown (September 15-17) and Bathurst (October 5-8).
