The Supercheap Auto wildcard will be racing much sooner than expected with Zane Goddard to join the Supercars field at the Darwin Triple Crown.
The news, plus the new look Supercheap Auto Chevrolet Camaro was unveiled by Goddard and Craig Lowndes in front of a sea of fans at a launch event in Brisbane.
As revealed by AUTO ACTION in January, Triple Eight Race Engineering will field a third consecutive enduros wildcard with Lowndes and Goddard behind the wheel at Sandown and Bathurst.
However, the fans were stunned by the revelation they will see car #888 racing just next month at the Darwin Triple Crown, while a test day is also scheduled on June 1.
The Hidden Valley round will be Goddard’s first solo drive since 2021 when he drove the #35 Matt Stone Racing ZB Commodore to 20th in the championship.
He will team up with former MSR engineer Wes McDougal and drive a to be launched Indigenous-themed livery.
Goddard said the solo opportunity will be his best chance at showing “what I can do” on the Supercars stage.
“It’s also a great opportunity for me to have a standalone wildcard entry in Darwin and get some laps under my belt before the enduro season. I can’t thank Supercheap Auto and Triple Eight enough,” he said.
“I’ve obviously raced full-time before, but to also have a chance in the car to show what I can do is really cool.
“Darwin is always an amazing event, so I’m going to embrace the whole race meeting and hopefully we can get some good results.”
Goddard has previously raced at Hidden Valley Raceway twice with a best finish of P16, but he did record his equal second best grid position there of 10th in 2021.
Zane Goddard driving the Matt Stone Racing “Superlite” Holden at Hidden Valley Raceway in 2020. Photo by Dirk Klynsmith / LAT Images
He is looking forward to resuming his relationship with McDougal and believes the pair can get the best out of each other.
“It’s going to be cool to work with Wes again,” Goddard said.
“I’ve worked with him at past teams, and it’s a bit surreal how it goes full circle and we’re now working together at Triple Eight.
“Knowing the way he works and having that prior knowledge cuts out a lot of the teething phase of growing that relationship.
Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard in their new for 2023 Supercheap Auto race suits.
“He understands what I like and I understand what he means when he says certain phrases which definitely helps.
“He’s an extremely talented, race-winning engineer who has worked at Triple Eight before and it’s great to see him back in the Supercars paddock.
“Hopefully Craig, Wes and myself can work well together and set up the optimal car every time it goes out on track.”
Lowndes, who hopes to defend his Sandown 500 crown and will line up for an astonishing 30th Bathurst 1000, is boosted by the announcement.
Craig Lowndes and Declan Fraser impressed with a steady performance in the Supercheap Auto wildcard at the 2022 Bathurst 1000. Image: Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics
A solo appearance is not something the previous Supercheap Auto wildcard youngsters Broc Feeney or Declan Fraser enjoyed before Bathurst.
Lowndes said Goddard’s chance to get an early taste of Gen3 machinery will be invaluable come September.
“Teaming up with Zane, I’m excited to make this year’s wildcard program bigger and more super,” he said.
“I’ve worked with Zane over the last couple of years throughout the early stages of Supercars’ Gen3 development, and I’m excited to finally share this beast of a car with him when we have our first test day at the start of June.
“It’s fantastic that Zane will be racing in Darwin. Any laps in these new cars are invaluable, and hopefully he gets more comfortable with the car and the team before enduro season really kicks off later in the year.
“Now that we’ve launched our Supercheap Auto wildcard, my focus is to work closely with Zane at our upcoming test days, ensuring we’re both comfortable in the car, and familiarising ourselves with our team of engineers and mechanics. Sandown can’t come quick enough!”
Supercheap Auto managing director Benjamin Ward cannot wait to see car #888 on track.
“We’re super proud to finally reveal the Supercheap Auto Camaro supercar and announce our wildcard plans for this year with Lowndesy and Goddard,” he said.
“Expanding the program to three events is exciting for all of us at Supercheap Auto, with Darwin and Sandown providing excellent preparation for Bathurst in October.
“Massive kudos to Triple Eight Race Engineering for all the hard work to build this new Camaro during the season.
“Thank you to all the fans for the support, we can’t wait to hit the track soon in the #888 Supercheap Auto supercar with Lowndesy and Goddard.”
The Darwin Triple Crown will take place from June 16-18, while the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 enduros are on September 15-17 and October 5-8 respectively.
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