REPCO Supercars Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen has welcomed the prospect of having Richie Stanaway as a Triple Eight Race Engineering stablemate next year.
As reported by V8 Sleuth today, Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton has purchased a Gen3 Camaro off Triple Eight as he ramps up his bid for Supercars’ spare Teams Racing Charter.
Adderton has made no secret of the fact Stanaway would be his driver, and today indicated he’d run an independent team but with a level of Triple Eight technical support if his TRC wish is granted.
That would make for seven Triple Eight customer cars in addition to its own Red Bull Ampol entries.
Team 18 and PremiAir Racing will run turnkey Camaro packages in 2023, while Matt Stone Racing will also have support from Triple Eight.
Asked if he’s excited by the potential Stanaway scenario, van Gisbergen replied: “Yeah, for sure.
“All our customer teams are helpful, after every session I’m looking at all their laps and trying to learn so having another good driver in a Triple Eight car is very helpful.
“Hopefully it comes off for them.”
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Van Gisbergen further voiced his support for Stanaway, who has been a polarising figure at times but has developed a following on the back of his recent Bathurst 1000 comeback.
“I think he is a different person to a couple of years ago,” said the #97 driver.
“You saw the way he drove, even the way he looks. He looks fit and committed and just smiling, that’s the biggest thing, and that’s the Richie I know from years ago.
“He got pretty shut down at the end of his Supercars career I guess by the media and listened to the fans and media stuff too much where he should have just been himself.
“To see him smiling and the way he performed, and I think Murph (Greg Murphy) has been a good person to have around for him, it was awesome.
“I don’t know Peter Adderton very well but the way he’s supporting Richie, it’s really awesome to see and hopefully it works out and they’re on the grid next year.”
Van Gisbergen also revealed a post-Bathurst challenge of his own that he has dealt with.
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“I had COVID so it was pretty shit,” he said.
“Yeah, so it hasn’t been good, but I feel good now.
“(At least) I didn’t miss a race this time.”
Van Gisbergen was a late withdrawal from the Bathurst 6 Hour in April due to COVID-19.
He won the 2021 edition of the production car enduro alongside Rob Rubis and Shane Smollen.
