Super year for Todd Hazelwood leads to Supercars promotion

SOUTH Australian driver Todd Hazelwood will line up as a main game Supercars driver in 2018, which starts in his hometown at the Adelaide 500.

Supercars driver Todd Hazelwood in the pits at the Clipsal 500 in 2017. Picture: Mark Brake

TODD Hazelwood will line up as a full-time driver in the top Supercars tier in 2018 at the season opener Adelaide 500.

Hazelwood’s current Dunlop Super2 Series team Matt Stone Racing will on Thursday announce its step up into the main game, retaining Hazelwood as its sole driver in its one-car outfit.

Hazelwood, 22, from Adelaide, wrapped up the 2017 Dunlop Super2 Series championship on Sunday after winning both of the category’s races at the Newcastle 500.

His promotion to the top level caps off a whirlwind year in motorsport in which he took his first race win at the Clipsal 500 in March, and competed in his first enduro campaign with Brad Jones Racing, during which he had his biggest crash of his career at Sandown.

He was also granted a wildcard entry to compete in one Supercars race at Queensland Raceway at Ipswich in July.

“There’s no better place to make a debut for the main championship than at my home race in Adelaide,” he said.

“I cannot wait for 2018 and what it has in store.”

He said this year’s experiences would put him in good stead for next season.

“I felt right at home (racing against main game drivers at Ipswich),” he said.

“At first I was a bit daunted, with a lot of pressure to do well and not do anything stupid.

“To have one race under my belt, I can hit the ground running and do good things next year.”

Matt Stone Racing will use the Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) owned by Jason Bright, who retired from full-time racing this week, which is required by teams to compete in Supercars.

Hazelwood will swap his current Super2 spec Holden Commodore for a new chassis, a Ford Falcon FGX previously used by DJR Team Penske.

A primary sponsor is yet to be confirmed but the team and Hazelwood will continue to be supported by long-time mentor Jason Gomersall, managing director of current sponsor iseek.

SA motorsport identity James Rosenberg, who has helped kickstart the careers of fellow South Australian Supercars drivers Tim Slade and Nick Percat, will also continue his support of Hazelwood.

Hazelwood’s promotion will take the number of SA-bred full-time drivers on the 2018 grid to four, out of a maximum of 26 drivers.

Hazelwood said the move also meant the return of the Stone name to the Supercars series.

Team owner Matt Stone is the son of Jim Stone, who with his brother Ross competed in the Supercars championship with the Stone Brothers Racing team.

SBR became Erebus Motorsport in 2013.

“It’s exciting to not only have the Stone name back in the championship but it be reunited with Ford,” Hazelwood said.

“It’s been a lot of work.

“A lot of work is required in the off season, which starts as of today.”