Start your engines: Home-town hope Todd Hazelwood leads Supercars drivers in getting set for Adelaide 500

TODD Hazelwood is revved up for his first start as a full-time driver in Australia’s top tier of touring cars, unveiling the trophy as the Adelaide 500 party gets off the start line.

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THE first Supercars driver has arrived in Adelaide for the first round of the season this weekend, making a special unveiling at the street circuit.

Adelaide-born driver Todd Hazelwood was the first driver to get his hands on the Adelaide 500 trophy when he made the official unveiling in Pit Lane.

It will be Hazelwood’s first start as a full-time driver in the top tier of touring cars in Australia.

South Australian Supercars rookie Todd Hazelwood gets a close look at the new Adelaide 500 trophy in pit straight on Tuesday. Picture: CALUM ROBERTSON

“To be part of the main stage is very special and at the 20th year of the Adelaide 500 is quite special,” the Matt Stone Racing team driver said.

“When you put the hard work in, it’s no so much hard to believe but a relief that we’re there and part of the field.

“It’s been a lot of work to this point, to put the wheels in motion and get out on the track.”

Hazelwood will be one of four South Australians to line up on the grid this weekend, the highest number of locals ever to be part of the top Supercars championship.

In comparison, five New Zealanders will join them in the 26-car field.

It follows “the ultimate year” for the 22-year-old in the sport in 2017, when he won his first Super2 development series race at the Clipsal 500 and ended the year with the series championship.

He also was granted a wildcard to participate in one Supercars round, at Queensland Raceway in July, and secured a co-drive with Brad Jones Racing for the endurance events — which unfortunately started with arguably the year’s biggest crash at Sandown.

“It was hard to upstage (2017) based on what we achieved last year with race wins and round wins, and pole positions, being part of Bathurst, having the crash and coming back from that and getting the (Super2) title as well,” he said.

“Going into this year, it would seem easier, it’s a relatively set program.

“We know what we’re doing all season and staying in the one championship.”