As 25 Gen3 Supercars make their race debuts in Newcastle this weekend, many of the superseded Gen2 machines start a new chapter in the Dunlop Super2 Series.
A healthy line-up of 20 Gen2 cars feature on the Newcastle Super2 entry, despite early fears that a collector-driven market would lead to a small field.
Driver by Driver: The Super2 class of 2023
The list includes 14 cars that featured on the Adelaide 500 grid last December and four others that raced at some point during 2022.
Cars built by Triple Eight (seven) and Tickford Racing (six, including its forerunners Ford Performance Racing and Prodrive Racing Australia) dominate the Newcastle Super2 entry.
They’re joined by two each from Walkinshaw Andretti United, Brad Jones Racing and Erebus Motorsport, plus one from Dick Johnson Racing.
Here’s our car-by-car guide to who’s driving what in Super2 this season. For full details purchase a copy of the Official 2023 Supercars Season Guide.
#2 Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Walkinshaw Andretti United
Debuted: 2020 Chaz Mostert
Last year: Nick Percat (WAU)
#3 Jaylyn Robotham (MW Motorsport)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Tickford Racing
Debuted: 2018 Cam Waters
Last year: Thomas Randle & James Courtney (Tickford)
#5 Brad Vaughan (Tickford Racing)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Tickford Racing
Debuted: 2021 Jack Le Brocq
Last year: James Courtney (last raced at Bathurst)
#6 Elly Morrow (Tickford Racing)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Tickford Racing
Debuted: 2016 Chaz Mostert
Last year: Zak Best & Thomas Randle (Tickford)
#11 Zane Morse (AIM Motorsport)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Tickford Racing
Debuted: 2021 Cam Waters
Last year: Cam Waters (Tickford)
#17 Zak Best (Anderson Motorsport)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Dick Johnson Racing
Debuted: 2018 Fabian Coulthard
Last year: N/A (was to be Anderson Motorsport Bathurst wildcard)
#18 Matt Chahda (Matt Chahda Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Brad Jones Racing
Debuted: 2016 Jason Bright
Last year: Jack Smith (BJR)
#25 Zach Bates (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Walkinshaw Andretti United
Debuted: 2013 Tony D’Alberto
Last year: Wildcard (Ojeda Winton/Darwin, Chahda/Robotham Bathurst)
#26 Kai Allen (Eggleston Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2018 Shane van Gisbergen
Last year: Scott Pye (Team 18)
#30 Aaron Seton (Gomersall Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2018 Jamie Whincup
Last year: Todd Hazelwood (MSR)
#33 Callum Walker (Walker Racing)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2016 Lee Holdsworth
Last year: James Golding (last raced on Gold Coast)
#38 Cameron Crick (Eggleston Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2018 Jamie Whincup
Last year: Mark Winterbottom (Team 18)
#43 Lochie Dalton (Brad Jones Racing)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Brad Jones Racing
Debuted: 2018 Nick Percat
Last year: Macauley Jones (BJR)
#49 Jay Hanson (Image Racing)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Erebus Motorsport
Debuted: 2019 Anton De Pasquale
Last year: Brodie Kostecki (Erebus)
#54 Jordyn Sinni (Eggleston Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2018 Jack Le Brocq
Last year: Chris Pither (PremiAir)
#67 Nash Morris (Nemo Racing)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2014 Craig Lowndes
Last year: Jack Le Brocq (MSR)
#70 Jack Perkins (Erebus Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Erebus Motorsport
Debuted: 2020 David Reynolds
Last year: Wildcard (Boys Winton/The Bend, Murphy/Stanaway Bathurst)
#78 Aaron Love (Blanchard Racing Team)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Prodrive Racing Australia
Debuted: 2016 Mark Winterbottom
Last year: Tim Slade (BRT)
#88 Cooper Murray (Eggleston Motorsport)
Car: Holden Commodore ZB
Built by: Triple Eight Race Engineering
Debuted: 2019 Jamie Whincup
Last year: Lowndes/Fraser Bathurst, Golding Adelaide
#219 James Masterton (Masterton Motorsports)
Car: Ford Mustang GT
Built by: Ford Performance Racing
Debuted: 2013 David Reynolds
Last year: BRT spare
Where are the rest of the 2022 contenders?
The fact 14 of the 25 cars that started the final race of the Gen2 era are now in Super2 begs the question, where are the rest?
Unsurprisingly, the most historically significant cars are being held by collectors, including the two Red Bull Ampol Holdens (owned by Peter Xiberras) and Shell V-Power Mustangs.
The car that Chaz Mostert finished last season in was bought by Andre Morse before its 2021 Bathurst 1000 win and has recently been put up for auction.
Elsewhere, the two ex-Grove Racing Mustangs remain owned by Kelly Racing, while BJR has sold its ex-Andre Heimgartner car to the United Kingdom.
BJR, Erebus and Tickford all retain a spare Gen2 machine, driven in 2022 by Will Brown, Bryce Fullwood and Jake Kostekci respectively.
