After four years on the sidelines, 57-year-old Russell Ingall will be back on the Supercars grid for the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 10.
It’s been confirmed that the Great Race 1995 and 1997 winner will take part in the event in a Triple Eight Holden ZB Commodore Wildcard entry, alongside the team’s Super2 young charger Broc Feeney.
The pairing are backed by Supercheap Auto, dovetailing with the car parts and supplies retail store’s relinquishing of naming rights sponsorship of the race. This year’s event wears naming rights backing from Repco, Supercheap Auto’s prime rival on both sides of the Tasman.
“I feel like we’re part of another Blues Brothers movie – we really have put the band back together,” said Ingall. “When the idea of driving a Triple Eight-prepared Supercheap Auto car at the Bathurst 1000 was presented to me, I didn’t need to be asked twice.
“Supercheap is synonymous with Bathurst and Mount Panorama and the race track means more to me than any other place. The concept is a great way for Supercheap Auto to maintain their valuable connection with the Bathurst 1000, which has been earned as both a team and event sponsor over more than 24 years.
“Supercheap Auto has played an important role in my career over the years and undertaking this event, in partnership with them, means an enormous amount to me.
“Let me make this clear. We are going to Bathurst to be competitive. We have every intention of being right in the mix and giving the fans something to cheer about, otherwise we might as well stay at home.”
While Ingall has taken on Mount Panorama in Triple Eight equipment in the past, namely in 2010 and 2011 when the team were suppliers to Paul Morris Motorsport and LDM Motorsport in 2014, it will be the first time ‘The Enforcer’ will race in a car ultimately prepared and fielded by the champion squad.
For Feeney, meanwhile, it will be his second Bathurst 1000 start following his 2020 campaign with James Courtney; the pair finishing 10th. After one round of Super2 in 2021, Feeney sits second in the points behind Zak Best. He’s widely tipped to be a frontrunning candidate for replacing Jamie Whincup at Red Bull Ampol Racing for the 2022 Supercars season.
“To announce this wild card entry at Bathurst with Supercheap Auto and Russell at this stage of the season is exciting,” said Feeney. “Supercheap Auto has such an incredible history in the sport and Russell is a legend in the business.
“To wear the Supercheap Auto colours and have Russell as my team-mate in the biggest race of the year is all very surreal, but exciting and I am grateful for the opportunity. Having the chance to race with a Supercars and Bathurst champion is an exciting prospect and will certainly help to boost my racing career.”