Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
---|---|
Team Principal | Adrian Burgess |
Race Drivers | 18. Anton DePasquale 20. David Reynolds |
Race Engineers | 18. Som Sharma [1] 20. Richard Hollway [1] |
Chassis | Camaro ZL1 |
Debut | 2013 |
Drivers' Championships | 0 |
Round wins | 0 |
Race wins | 1 |
Pole positions | 1 |
2020 position | 6th (3122 pts) |
Team 18 (formerly known as Charlie Schwerkolt Racing) is an Australian motor racing team [2] currently competing in the Supercars Championship, running two Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s. The team's current drivers are Mark Winterbottom and David Reynolds.
The team is owned by Gold Coast businessman Charlie Schwerkolt, who previously had a shareholding in Dick Johnson Racing. The relationship between Schwerkolt and Dick Johnson broke down at the end of 2010, the year James Courtney won the championship for the team. As part of the split Schwerkolt retained ownership of one of the two Racing Entitlement Contracts (RECs). [3]
Schwerkolt had attempted to conclude a deal to run a fourth car out of Ford Performance Racing with Courtney driving, but after Courtney signed to drive with the Holden Racing Team, the deal collapsed. [4] The REC was instead leased to Dick Johnson Racing for James Moffat's entry for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. [3]
With the rules governing the use of Racing Entitlement Contracts dictating that Schwerkolt could only lease his to one party for two years, he either had to sell it, lease it to another party, or use it himself. Schwerkolt decided on the latter and came to an agreement with Ford Performance Racing to operate a fully supported customer car as a satellite of the main FPR team in much the same manner as Rod Nash Racing. [5] Alex Davison drove the Jeld-Wen supported car in 2013, [6] taking one podium at the Phillip Island event and finishing the season in 13th. In 2014, Jack Perkins replaced Davison but could only manage 23rd in the championship. [7]
For 2015, Lee Holdsworth became the team's driver. [8] The team had originally intended to remain in their existing relationship with Ford Performance Racing (now known as Tickford Racing), but they were replaced by Super Black Racing as the Ford team's second customer partnership. Instead, the team became a satellite team to the Holden Racing Team, and ran a Holden VF Commodore. [9] Holdsworth finished 14th in the championship.
In 2016, Team 18 began operating as an independent entity using a Triple Eight Race Engineering-built Commodore. Jeff Grech, the former Holden Racing Team team manager from 1993 to 2006, became team manager with backing from Preston Hire. It was a difficult season for the outfit, with Holdsworth suffering a major accident at the Darwin event, leaving him with a fractured pelvis and out of action for three rounds. He was replaced with Kurt Kostecki for Townsville and Ipswich (having borrowed the teenagers' Development Series chassis) and Karl Reindler for Sydney Motorsport Park. The team did not fare well in Holdsworth's return for the Enduro Cup either, retiring from the Bathurst 1000 after two laps with a broken rocker, as well as one of the Gold Coast 600 races after Reindler crashed exiting turn three. The team finished 15th in the teams' championship, beating only Britek Motorsport and the 'Supergirls' wildcard.
Holdsworth remained at the team for 2017, starting with two midfield finishes at the Adelaide 500 before being involved in a high-speed crash with Nick Percat at the non-championship round at the Australian Grand Prix, after Percat lost braking entering turn one. The team avoided the multi-car pile-up in Tasmania, however, were caught out in the changeable conditions on the Sunday, finishing 17th. The team continued to run midfield throughout the season, Holdsworth ending the season 16th in the standings with a best result of 4th on the Saturday at the Newcastle 500. Holdsworth did not finish in the top ten again until one year later in Newcastle, enduring a difficult 2018 campaign that was hampered by reliability issues, ending up in 21st in the championship. [10]
Ahead of the 2019 Supercars Championship, the team acquired the services of 2015 series champion Mark Winterbottom, in what became a switch of seats with Holdsworth going to Tickford Racing. [10] As part of Winterbottom's arrival, the team also re-branded with backing from Stanley Black & Decker's Irwin Industrial Tools, hired new staff including team manager Steve Henderson and engineer Phil Keed and upgraded their customer relationship with Triple Eight Race Engineering. [11] The changes brought an immediate upturn in results with two top-ten finishes at the Adelaide 500 before Winterbottom took the team's first pole position at the Tasmania SuperSprint. [12] In 2020 the team will expand to two cars with a second REC purchased from Kelly Racing, again with backing from Stanley Black & Decker, this time from their DeWalt brand with Scott Pye recruited from Walkinshaw Andretti United. [13]
The following is a list of drivers who have driven for the team in the Supercars Championship, in order of their first appearance. Drivers who only drove for the team on a part-time basis are listed in italics.
Year | No. | Car | Drivers | Position | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 18 | Ford Falcon FG | Alex Davison John McIntyre | 13th | 161 |
2014 | 18 | Ford Falcon FG | Jack Perkins Cam Waters | 12th | 161 |
2015 | 18 | Holden Commodore VF | Lee Holdsworth Sébastien Bourdais | 9th | 161 |
2016 | 18 | Holden Commodore VF | Lee Holdsworth Karl Reindler | DNF | 2 |
2017 | 18 | Holden Commodore VF | Lee Holdsworth Karl Reindler | DNF | 76 |
2018 | 18 | Holden Commodore ZB | Lee Holdsworth Jason Bright | 21st | 157 |
2019 | 18 | Holden Commodore ZB | Mark Winterbottom Steven Richards | 6th | 161 |
2020 | 18 | Holden Commodore ZB | Mark Winterbottom James Golding | 8th | 161 |
20 | Holden Commodore ZB | Scott Pye Dean Fiore | 6th | 161 | |
2021 | 18 | Holden Commodore ZB | Mark Winterbottom Michael Caruso | 16th | 161 |
20 | Holden Commodore ZB | Scott Pye James Golding | DNF | 3 | |
2022 | 18 | Holden Commodore ZB | Mark Winterbottom Michael Caruso | 15th | 161 |
20 | Holden Commodore ZB | Scott Pye Tyler Everingham | 16th | 161 | |
2023 | 18 | Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE | Mark Winterbottom Michael Caruso | DNF | 160 |
20 | Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE | Scott Pye Warren Luff | 17th | 160 | |
2024 | 18 | Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE | Mark Winterbottom Michael Caruso | 18th | 161 |
20 | Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE | David Reynolds Warren Luff | 24th | 159 | |
Walkinshaw Andretti United is an Australian motor racing team based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. The team, initially branded as the Holden Racing Team, used to field Holden Commodores in the Supercars Championship before making the switch to Ford Mustangs for the 2023 season. The two cars are currently driven by Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert.
Tickford Racing is an Australian motor racing team which competes in the Supercars Championship. The team currently campaigns two Ford Mustangs, with their current drivers being Cam Waters and Thomas Randle. Tickford Racing also competes in the Super2 Series with Brad Vaughan and Lochie Dalton.
James Rosenberg Racing was a V8 Supercar racing team owned by South Australian agricultural business identity, James Rosenberg. The team was reformed in 2010 with Tim Slade as the team's driver after a toe-in-the water year working with Paul Morris Motorsport in 2009.
The 2012 International V8 Supercar Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the fourteenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the sixteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. The championship began on 1 March at the Clipsal 500 and concluded on 2 December at the Homebush Street Circuit. The 53rd Australian Touring Car Championship title was awarded to the winner of the Drivers' Championship by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
Chaz Michael Mostert is an Australian professional racing driver competing in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 25 Ford Mustang GT for Walkinshaw Andretti United. Mostert was the winner of the 2021 Bathurst 1000 with Lee Holdsworth and has also previously won the 2014 Bathurst 1000 with Paul Morris and the 2010 Australian Formula Ford Championship.
The 2013 International V8 Supercars Championship was a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars that was based in Australia. It was the fifteenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the seventeenth series in which V8 Supercars contested the premier Australian touring car title. The championship was contested over thirty-six races, starting with the Clipsal 500 Adelaide on 2 March 2013, and finishing with the Sydney Telstra 500 V8 Supercars on 8 December. The series' calendar also expanded, travelling to the United States for the first time for a race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The 2014 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the sixteenth running of the V8 Supercars Championship and the eighteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2015 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international auto racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the seventeenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the nineteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the eighteenth running of the Supercars Championship and the twentieth series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2017 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars, which prior to July 2016 had been known as V8 Supercars. It was the nineteenth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-first series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2016 Castrol Edge Townsville 400 was a motor racing event for Supercars, held on the weekend of 8 to 10 July 2016. The event was held at the Townsville Street Circuit in Townsville, Queensland, and consisted of two races of 200 kilometres in length. It was the seventh event of fourteen in the 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship and hosted Races 14 and 15 of the season. The event was the eighth running of the Townsville 400.
The 2016 Red Rooster Sydney SuperSprint was a motor racing event for Supercars, held on the weekend of 26 to 28 August 2016. The event was held at Sydney Motorsport Park in Eastern Creek, New South Wales, and consisted of one race of 120 kilometres and one race of 200 km in length. It was the ninth event of fourteen in the 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship and hosted Races 18 and 19 of the season. The event was the 19th running of the Sydney SuperSprint.
The 2018 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twentieth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-second series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. Teams and drivers competed in thirty-one races at sixteen venues across Australia and New Zealand for the championship titles. Scott McLaughlin won his maiden title at the final race in Newcastle, while Red Bull Holden Racing Team won the Teams Championship at Pukekohe.
The 2019 Supercars Championship was the twenty-first running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-third series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. The 2019 championship also included the running of the 1,000th Australian Touring Car Championship race, which was contested at the Melbourne 400.
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport was an Australian motor racing team that competed in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. The team was sold to Phil Munday and re-branded as 23Red Racing at the end of 2017.
The 2020 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twenty-second running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-fourth series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. Due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of rounds were rescheduled or cancelled.
The 2019 Bathurst 1000 was a motor racing event for Supercars which was held on the weekend of 10–13 October 2019. It was held at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia and featured a single 1000 kilometre race. The event was the eleventh of fourteen in the 2019 Supercars Championship and incorporated Race 25 of the series. It was also the opening round of the 2019 Enduro Cup.
The 2021 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twenty-third running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-fifth series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. Atlanta-based international auto parts conglomerate Genuine Parts Company, through the consumer auto parts brand Repco, replaced Virgin Australia as naming rights sponsor under a five-year partnership, which was later expanded to eight years at the end of the 2022 prizegiving banquet.
The 2022 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twenty-fourth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-sixth series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport.
The 2023 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars.