The Repco Supercars Championship will have a different feel in 2021, with many teams turning up to the first round at Mount Panorama in Bathurst with revised driver line-ups.
The most significant change is at the front of the grid, with the championship-winning Shell V-Power Racing Team opting for a fresh driver line-up for 2021. With title-winner Scott McLaughlin racing IndyCars full time with Team Penske in the United States, experienced Will Davison and young gun Anton de Pasquale will drive DJR’s Shell V-Power Ford Mustang GTs this season.
Davison and de Pasquale have joined a team that has enjoyed tremendous recent success, with McLaughlin claiming the past three Supercars championships.
In other key driver moves, former Bathurst 1000 winner David Reynolds will race for Kelly Grove Racing while Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki are the new line-up at Erebus Motorsport. Two former Shell V-Power Racing Team drivers have also found new homes: Tim Slade will return to full-time driving in the new Blanchard Racing Team’s Mustang GT, while Fabian Coulthard will race a Team Sydney Holden Commodore.
This season is also notable as the final year Holden Commodores will race in the Supercars championship. It’s also the last full season for seven-time champion and Red Bull Holden driver Jamie Whincup.
What isn’t ending any time soon is Dick Johnson Racing’s five-decade relationship with Shell. Viva Energy Australia recently signed a new multi-year naming rights deal.
“Shell has been with us for certainly all of my career,” says DJR co-owner and Motorsport Hall of Famer Dick Johnson. “It’s an absolute pleasure to work with people that really understand the value of not only what we’re doing but how they interact with the team and become a real part of our racing family at every race meeting. And that’s very, very important from our point of view.”
The first event on the 2021 Supercars calendar is the Repco Mt Panorama 500 at Bathurst on February 26-28. It won’t be the only time the drivers get to the Mountain, of course – the iconic Bathurst 1000 is on October 10.
We look forward to seeing all Supercars teams back on the track in 2021!
Watch the Shell V-Power Racing Team’s 2021 season launch video.
Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.
