GROVE Racing has rounded out its roster for the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship enduros by signing veteran co-driver Dale Wood, V8 Sleuth has learnt.
The top Ford squad had been set to stick with its incumbents Garth Tander and Kevin Estre, until a date change for the Sandown 500 ruled the latter out.
That’s opened the door for Wood, a former full-timer who collected a solo podium for Brad Jones Racing and has 16 Bathurst 1000 starts to his name.
The 40-year-old co-drove BJR’s lead #8 entry in each of the past three seasons but missed a spot in their 2024 line-up as youngsters Declan Fraser and Jaylyn Robotham were drafted in.
Wood is staying sharp this year with his latest campaign in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, where he is running fourth in the points.
V8 Sleuth understands Wood is likely to co-drive with Richie Stanaway in the #26 Penrite Mustang, while Tander will shift across to the #19 to partner Matt Payne.
Few co-drives remain up for grabs, at least among the 24 regular entries, with Triple Eight, Dick Johnson Racing, Walkinshaw Andretti United and now Grove Racing full.
That’s also likely the case at Erebus Motorsport (Todd Hazelwood and Jayden Ojeda) and Tickford Racing (James Moffat and Tyler Everingham).
Michael Caruso is tied to Team 18, where there’s every chance Warren Luff will end up once more.
BJR has three of its four seats sorted (Fraser, Robotham and Jordan Boys) while ex-Erebus co-drivers David Russell and Jack Perkins have landed at PremiAir Racing and the Blanchard Racing Team respectively.
Two enduro wildcards have been approved thus, for Triple Eight (Craig Lowndes/Cooper Murray) and Matt Chahda Motorsport (Matt Chahda/TBC).
