Surprise Supercars deal for Bathurst 1000 champion

2 years ago 333

Bathurst 1000 champion Lee Holdsworth's Supercars vocation has been revived, with the 38-year-old signing with Grove Racing for 2022.

Without a full-time thrust aft splitting with Tickford Racing astatine the extremity of 2020, Holdsworth partnered Chaz Mostert astatine Mount Panorama earlier this month, claiming his archetypal triumph aft astir 2 decades of trying.

Holdsworth has signed a one-year woody to thrust alongside David Reynolds astatine Grove Racing, filling the past spot connected the Supercars grid for 2022.

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"I'm blown distant by this accidental and I can't hold to get backmost full-time into the Supercars Championship," said Holdsworth.

"My afloat clip run was chopped abbreviated astatine the extremity of 2020 and it surely wasn't the mode I imagined bowing retired from the sport.

"I've present got a large accidental with Grove Racing to decorativeness disconnected my full-time vocation successful Supercars portion playing an important relation successful helping the squad determination guardant for the future."

Holdsworth finished successful the top-10 successful the title for 4 consecutive years from 2009-2012, and is simply a four-time contention victor successful the series.

"I've got an important relation to play successful the squad for adjacent year, and I'm excited by that," helium said.

"Having the accidental to spouse David Reynolds, who I cognize is 1 of the fastest drivers successful the field, and assistance physique this caller squad up to beryllium a aboriginal unit successful the title is precise exciting.

"You tin spot Grove Racing is leaving thing connected the table. They person bully cars, immoderate caller engineering and absorption talent, and they are gathering up their young operator programme too, truthful I'm looking guardant to being a portion of the full program. Hopefully I tin usage immoderate of my acquisition to assistance thrust the squad forward.

"What a large Christmas present! Now I'm conscionable excited to thrust the Grove Mustang for the archetypal clip aboriginal successful the caller year."

Holdsworth replaces Andre Heimgartner astatine Grove Racing, who had been expected to springiness the thrust to New Zealand teen Matt Payne. However, it was announced yesterday that Payne volition alternatively vie successful the Super2 series.

Team proprietor Stephen Grove said signing Holdsworth was a no-brainer.

"Lee has proven to beryllium 1 of the fastest and astir reliable drivers successful the Supercars tract implicit the years, and we consciousness helium volition beryllium the cleanable acceptable for our team," helium said.

"He did an unthinkable occupation arsenic the co-driver to Chaz Mostert successful the Bathurst 1000, and they some thoroughly deserved the triumph astatine The Great Race.

"Lee is 1 of the astir experienced drivers successful the field, and astatine this constituent of our team's development, and with the implementation of the Grove Junior Team, we wanted to person an experienced driver, a person disconnected the way and astir importantly, idiosyncratic we cognize volition enactment with our squad to thrust forward.

"Lee ticks each of those boxes. His resume speaks for itself and we can't hold to get into the Supercars Championship with him and David Reynolds adjacent year."

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