NEWCASTLE saw a reconvening of the Supercars paddock in full competition mode for the first time in more than three months, but there were some notable omissions.
There was the return of familiar faces such as Todd Kelly, who was back at a Supercars event to oversee son Mason’s Super3 debut, and Zane Goddard lapping up the Triple Eight experience ahead of his wildcard campaign later this year.
But what of some others? V8 Sleuth explores…
Chris Pither
The Kiwi veteran of 138 Supercars Championship races lost his seat at PremiAir Racing at the end of last season, after which he has kept a low profile.
Pither is tipped to do some form of racing this year but has not yet had a co-drive announced, with each of the top six teams in pitlane having now filled their main enduro line-ups.
The Super2 Series winner has popped up in an officiating capacity though, sharing the Shannons SpeedSeries Driving Standards Advisor duties with former Supercars teammate Alex Davison.
Pither’s appearance at Symmons Plains last month followed on from him fulfilling a similar role in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
Lee Holdsworth
Holdsworth was the sole retiree from last year’s main game field, putting an end to a solo Supercars career which began in 2006.
While he kept busy during his 2021 season on the sidelines, regularly racing in TCR Australia, the now 40-year-old has settled into post-racing life working in the commercial real estate sector with CBRE.
He will of course return to the wheel for a couple of events come the enduros, partnering Chaz Mostert at Walkinshaw Andretti United as they strive to repeat their Bathurst 1000 heroics from a couple of years ago.
Holdsworth was present at WAU’s maiden Gen3 shakedown at Winton on February 15 but has not been announced to race in any other categories prior to September’s Sandown 500.
Jake Kostecki
Like Pither, Kostecki has barely been sighted since he was controversially axed by Tickford Racing in favour of Declan Fraser.
It’s not yet clear what the 23-year-old’s next step is: try to reignite his Supercars career via a co-drive or wildcard, switch to another motorsport category, or hang up the helmet altogether?
Tyler Everingham
Everingham has been a regular at Supercars events since 2019, tallying five Super2 race wins in that period, and is a two-time Bathurst 1000 starter.
He was one of several drivers not to return to the second tier of Supercars this year however, instead opting to focus on the National Trans Am Series before joining Tickford Racing for the enduros.
His 2022 MW Motorsport teammates Thomas Maxwell and Angelo Mouzouris are both racing in Porsche Carrera Cup, while Ryal Harris is back in the V8 SuperUtes scene.
Jayden Ojeda
‘The Juice’ is a long-time rival of Broc Feeney’s, did a commendable job in a couple of WAU solo wildcards last year, and was a leading contender to replace Todd Hazelwood at Matt Stone Racing before losing out to Cameron Hill.
Still, Ojeda remains on the hunt to make the main game.
He has been spotted in the MSR garage on multiple occasions in the early stages of 2023; that points to a probable continuation of his co-driving arrangement with the team into a third successive enduro campaign.
Ojeda’s 2022 wildcard peers Zak Best and Jordan Boys are racing in Super2 and S5000 this year, in addition to co-drives.
