Brad Jones Racing and SCT Motorsport have this morning announced that New Zealander Jaxon Evans will join the team to replace the departing Jack Smith for the 2024 Supercars season.
The 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion will race the SCT Logistics Camaro full-time, with Smith announcing his departure from the team last month.
Evans becomes the fifth Kiwi to compete full-time in Supercars in 2024, joining Grove Racing teammates Richie Stanaway and Matt Payne, Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood and fellow Brad Jones Racing driver Andre Heimgartner,
“Very excited for the opportunity to join the Supercars grid full time,” said Evans. “Having started my racing career here – returning to Australia at some stage has always been an aspiration.
“Supercars produces some of the closest and most exciting racing – a massive attraction for any driver here or overseas.
“Of course a big change in scenery, but an exciting one – I think the challenge of something new is a situation I thrive in, so I can’t wait to get going.
“This opportunity gives me the chance to expand my profile as a complete driver and still engage with the GT and endurance racing I have been doing for the past four years in Europe and the USA.
“I have to extend a massive thank you to SCT logistics, the Smith family and Andrew Jones for placing their trust in my ability to perform both on and off the track.
“There are many moving parts in the background, so a big thank you as well to my support network here in Australia.”
Team owner Brad Jones adds, “We’re excited to welcome Jaxon full-time to the team in 2024. We all know each other quite well, and Jaxon has always been a pleasure to work with.
“He has shown potential as a co-driver and has a lot of speed at hand; he’ll be one to watch next year, that’s for sure.
“What Jaxon achieved overseas is the envy of most drivers, and he’s an amazing asset with his breadth of experience across so many professional categories. He’s a natural fit for us.”
Evans has raced the car with Smith for the past two Supercars Enduros campaigns, making good progress across opening stints at this season’s Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. At Sandown, he gained eight positions on his first run and ten places at Mount Panorama.
The 27-year-old will base himself in Australia for the season as he focuses on his Supercars campaign and other racing commitments.
Following a successful karting career, Evans debuted in the Australian scene with McElrea Racing in 2015.
He won his maiden title in 2018 with his Carrera Cup Championship victory and was selected ahead of 11 other drivers from around the world to win the Porsche Junior Shootout.
A move to Europe followed, with Evans competing with Porsche in multiple series, including the Porsche Supercup, where he claimed two podiums and two pole positions in his rookie campaign. He also won the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland rookie Championship that same year.
In 2020, he won the Porsche Carrera Cup France title and finished fourth in the Porsche Supercup, taking his maiden race win.
Evans also made his World Endurance Championship debut for Dempsey-Proton Racing, finishing on the podium in his sole outing. He was also second in class at the 2020 Bathurst 12-Hour.
A full-time World Endurance Championship campaign with Dempsey-Proton Racing followed in 2021, and the team finished third overall in the GTE Am standings, with results including a top-five finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Since then, Evans has featured in select ADAC GT Masters rounds, made GT World Challenge cameos, and joined Smith for the Supercars Enduros for the past two seasons.
Evans will get behind the wheel of the SCT Motorsport Camaro for the first time at an official test day at Winton Motor Raceway on February 7 ahead of the season-opening Bathurst 500 on February 23-25.
Header Image: Brad Jones Racing
