IT’S no secret that Shane van Gisbergen is becoming increasingly unlikely to be in Supercars next season.
Triple Eight managing director Jamie Whincup indicated on Sunday evening in Townsville that he’ll imminently discuss 2024 with van Gisbergen and whether he wants to cut ties at year’s end, despite being under contract.
This all comes as multiple NASCAR teams circle SVG following his stunning victory on Cup Series debut earlier this month in Chicago.
Triple Eight is in the fortunate position that as the premier Supercars team over the past 15 or so years, it shouldn’t have too much difficulty in attracting a driver.
Its problem though is timing; there mightn’t be an obvious star readily available for 2024, should this indeed be van Gisbergen’s swansong season.
The likes of Chaz Mostert, Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown, Will Davison, Anton De Pasquale, Andre Heimgartner and Matt Payne all appear to be under lock and key at their respective teams until at least the end of 2024.
Cam Waters is undoubtedly the obvious top pick, as a genuine A-grader who has been weighing up his future.
It’s understood that a move to Walkinshaw Andretti United is probably now off the cards for Waters but that he is inching towards a renewal with Tickford Racing.
So, if Waters too becomes off limits, how would Triple Eight go about filling a potential vacancy for 2024?
V8 Sleuth explores some options.
Within the family
Triple Eight could look internally, beginning with the ever-fascinating Richie Stanaway.
Internationally proven, Stanaway was a revelation in his early days in Supercars before his career lost its way.
But he returned to the sport last year cutting a refined and hungry figure, and now has a great chance to push for further redemption given he was signed by Triple Eight to be van Gisbergen’s co-driver for Sandown and Bathurst this year.
Also with a clear chance to prove to T8 powerbrokers what he can do is Zane Goddard.
The 23-year-old is running a three-round wildcard program with Triple Eight this season, including a solo outing last month in Darwin and joining forces with Craig Lowndes at Sandown and Bathurst.
Thus far, the Supercheap Auto program has a two-from-two strike rate in helping a young gun graduate to the main game, its alumni comprising of Broc Feeney and Declan Fraser.
Speaking of Fraser, he’s in the midst of a trying rookie season at Tickford but was an immensely popular part of Triple Eight last year, with whom he won the Super2 title (as did Feeney in ’21).
The next wave
It wouldn’t be totally unlike Triple Eight to go all in on chasing the next big thing.
After all, it plucked Whincup from obscurity and he became the greatest of all time. Then it replaced Whincup with a teenager (Feeney was 18 when his promotion was announced).
The hottest property in the Dunlop Series is Ryan Wood, so it could be worth checking in on the Kiwi – although seems like Wood will either be driving for Walkinshaw Andretti United or Team 18 in 2024.
Not far behind is Kai Allen.
It was a big weekend for the 18-year-old in Townsville, becoming the youngest round winner in Super2 history, and being revealed as the centrepiece of Dick Johnson Racing’s 2023 wildcard plans.
That would logically see him being developed for a 2025 DJR drive… but perhaps Triple Eight could snatch him away with an earlier opportunity?
Plan C?
Maybe if Triple Eight wants to wait a year to either have a crack at drivers coming off-contract in 2024, or to give the rising crop an extra year to ply their trade, it could follow in Grove Racing’s footsteps.
Grove turned to veteran Lee Holdsworth as a stopgap last year until Payne was good to go. Could a similar strategy work for Triple Eight?
Alternatively, could the sheer lure of a Triple Eight seat tempt a star to break contract early in pursuit of a rare opportunity at Banyo?
