While the 2023 Supercars grid is mostly filled, a late, but genuine, play by Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton could result in a 26th car in the series, the role of driver expected to be handed to New Zealander Richie Stanaway.
Should the bid be successful, Adderton would also like to have Greg Murphy on-board in a Team Principal role.
He also revealed a high-profile Bathurst co-driver as being on the cards, those discussions having already begun.
For this to happen, however, a range of technicalities need to be overcome. This includes the release of the 26th, and final, Teams Racing Charter (TRC) from Supercars.
This entry would also likely have to be facilitated by a technical partner, who has not been revealed at this point.
All teams competing require a TRC. The establishment of the system at the start of 2022 saw 26 TRCs implemented, the 25 car grid taking one each and the one outstanding held by Supercars.
This means there can never be more than 26 cars running a full calendar while this system remains in place.
The decision to release that TRC remains at the discretion of the Supercars organisation. Whilst the process to release it will be run through the Commission, made up largely of team representatives, their suggestions will remain just that, Supercars the ones to have the final say.
Speaking with the Castrol Motorsport News podcast, Adderton revealed he is lobbying Supercars to release that charter to him.
“I think the fans want it,” Adderton said on the podcast.
“It frustrates me that you have got 25 cars on the grid and probably 10 are real and the rest are basically just rental cars.
“I think they need to have more teams and more teams like Boost and we want in.
“So yeah, if we can make it work and it works for us as a brand and it works for us as a team, I want to do it.
“We’ll put Richie in the car, I’ve told them. I’ll put a letter in to them requesting that we get a [TRC], whether it’s leased or bought.”
Adderton also revealed he was unhappy with Supercars chairman Barclay Nettlefold attending a Walkinshaw Andretti United Optus event.
With Boost Mobile as the official telco of Supercars, Adderton threatened to pull their funding from the series. He will rescind that threat should the TRC be released to him.
“I made it clear to Supercars that we were not happy and if they are going to treat us like that, then we may as well go spend our money somewhere else,” Adderton said.
“Now in hindsight, since then, Supercars has reached out and we have had dialogue and have been discussing things with them.
“I don’t think they want to see us leave but now it’s down to, I need to have our own team, we want our own [TRC].”
TRCs were introduced at the start of this year, replacing the Racing Entitlements Contract (REC) which were introduced in 2011.
Previously, under REC, teams owned a stake in the Supercar series. If teams failed to attend races, then that REC would be affected, damages being assessed against them for liquidated damages payable by them. If three events were skipped then a system would come into play to potentially take the REC and shares away.
Now, with the introduction of TRC, teams are no longer shareholders. Teams are instead paid a sum by Supercars, that figure understood to be in the range of $650,000 for a 12 round season. Additional rounds result in additional payment, 2023 having a scheduled 13 race weekends.
With the introduction of TRCs, RECs were transferred to the holding teams. This saw 25 immediate charters, with the 26th one held on to by Supercars.
This one is the one which Adderton wants to gain. He’s even prepared to sacrifice the income from a TRC for two years to ensure the potential decision to hold it by Supercars isn’t financially motivated.
“A lot of the teams are like, ‘we don’t want to sell him one because then our money gets [diluted]’ – ‘I don’t want your $650,000 or whatever the money is,” said Adderton in the podcast.
“I won’t take revenue for two years. They can lease it to me.”
The 26th TRC has also been of interest by several other teams. This includes Matt Chada Motorsport and the Blanchard Racing Team.
Adderton also revealed the entry would initially be in a standalone capacity as apart of a technical partnership.
“I think initially we would probably do a technical partnership but it would be standalone – it would be ours, we buy the car, we do all of that and then we basically set it up over time.
“We know exactly how it is going to work. We’re ready. It’s just a matter now of getting Supercars and the teams to say ‘okay, Adderton can come racing’. And if they can’t let me come racing, then they better tell us why.”
Stanaway has also revealed, following his Bathurst 11th placed finish with Greg Murphy, that he was back on the market for a full-time return to the series in 2023.
In an interview with V8 Sleuth, Stanaway confirmed this as true and recognised he wants more than just an occasional co-drive.
“I think if i co-drive next year, then I’m starting to get a bit too old really and too much time on the sidelines [will probably result in] me stuck co-driving.”
