#1 Commodore to become Todd Hazelwood’s #35 car next year …
STORY: AARON NOONAN
IMAGE: AN1 IMAGES (DIRK KLYNSMITH)
THE Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodore ZB driven by Jamie Whincup during the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship will head to Matt Stone Racing for Todd Hazelwood to drive in 2019.
However the young Queensland-based 2017 Dunlop Super2 Series champion will get to sample the car before Christmas this year.
Hazelwood will test his new car on December 11 at Queensland Raceway as a prelude to driving it full-time next year with Triple Eight customer support.
The chassis was debuted by Whincup this year in Adelaide and used by the seven-time champion in every round this year bar Pukekohe, where he moved to Triple Eight’s spare car after his regular mount was damaged on the Gold Coast.
“The recent purchase of the car is really exciting and it’s really going to see our capabilities as a team step-up in 2019,” says Hazelwood, who had a season-high result last weekend in Newcastle when he finished 13th on Saturday.
“We’ve got a full day planned ahead there and we cannot wait to see what we’ve got ourselves in for.
The car’s former pilot Whincup is likely to turn laps during the December 11 hand-over.
All of Triple Eight’s 2018 race chassis have now had their futures determined with collector Scott Taylor purchasing the #888 Craig Lowndes Bathurst winner and Shane van Gisbergen due to continue aboard his existing car.
A new chassis is being constructed for Whincup to drive next season when Triple Eight returns to a two-car program for the first time since 2015.
