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HomeNewsGRM PRODIGIES TEAM UP FOR BATHURST 1000

GRM PRODIGIES TEAM UP FOR BATHURST 1000

DYLAN O’Keeffe will give PremiAir Racing a connection to its past when he lines up for his third Repco Bathurst 1000 start in October.

O’Keeffe will tackle The Mountain in the same chassis as he did last year, when 888A-044 was driven by Garry Jacobson under the #22 Team Sydney moniker.

Now, following an off-season transaction and a mid-season driver change, O’Keeffe will be sharing the #31 Subway PremiAir Racing ZB Commodore of James Golding.

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The duo know each other well, having both spent many years in the Garry Rogers Motorsport stable of drivers.

With GRM, Golding made his Super2 debut in 2015, progressed to the main game, and was runner-up in this year’s S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship before landing a sudden full-time return to the Repco Supercars Championship at Jacobson’s expense.

O’Keeffe and GRM meanwhile combined to take lead rookie honours in the 2019 Super2 Series, and the now 24-year-old made his top-tier debut that same year when Richie Stanaway was benched mid-Gold Coast 600.

He’s spent 2022 dovetailing a GRM campaign in TCR Australia with Porsche Carrera Cup Australia duties for Garth Walden Racing.

“Dylan and I know each other pretty well from our history at GRM, and I get on with him really well, so that is going to make that part of it much easier as I won’t have to get used to someone else,” said Golding.

“We have driven alongside each other, not in the same car, but we have worked with each other before.

Golding and O’Keeffe. Pic: Supplied

“He has come on strong with his Porsche racing and TCR stuff he has been doing, so I think he is as good a pick as anyone for the big race.

“I can’t wait to get to Bathurst and to get him in the car and get him comfortable at the test day.”

MORE: The full 2022 Bathurst 1000 entry list

O’Keeffe was 11th on Great Race debut (Kelly Racing, 2020) and 14th last year.

“I raced this same chassis last year, so it is going to be good to be back with that car with the new team,” he said ahead of a PremiAir test day tomorrow at Queensland Raceway.

“The Subway PremiAir Racing Supercar looks really good and to be partnering with Jimmy is super exciting as we are good mates, so we get along well.

“I am looking forward to working with him and picking his brain. By the time we get to Bathurst, he will have learnt so much more about the car, and I am looking forward to joining the team and building into Bathurst.

“We will get a good couple of test days under our belt and the Sandown co-driver session will deliver plenty of laps as well.

“It will be important to get comfortable and back into V8 mode – they are a unique kind of car, and while I am doing a lot of racing in other classes, nothing is quite the same as a Supercar.

“It is definitely good to get back.”

PremiAir team principal Matt Cook added: “We are very excited to have Dylan joining the team.

“He has a lot of experience driving Supercars and he has been driving a few other things as well, including TCR and Carrera Cup, so he has obviously been honing his racecraft and doing a good job, so hopefully he can come onboard the Subway PremiAir Racing Supercar with Jimmy and do a good job here as well.”

In the sister #22 Coca-Cola Commodore, Chris Pither will be joined by Cameron Hill for the October 6-9 event at Mount Panorama.

Having tested with PremiAir earlier this year, Super2 title contender Tyler Everingham is among the favourites to score the Team 18 co-drive that Golding vacated to facilitate his full-time return.

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