The 2022 Repco Supercars Championship begins this weekend with Sydney Motorsport Park to host the Beaurepaires Sydney Supersprint.
 
There have been many changes to the grid since the category last went racing, with multiple drivers switching teams, new faces entering the fold and the addition of a new full time entry – taking the total number of competing cars to 25.
 
Of the 11 registered teams, four will enter the season with unchanged line ups, with DJR, Erebus Motorsport, Tim Blanchard Racing and Team 18 sticking with the same formula of 2021.
 
As for the 25 drivers competing in this year’s championship, 15 remain at the same teams they were with in 2021, six packed their bags and moved elsewhere and four will enter the season as new entries.
 
Headlining the list of drivers to change teams was Nick Percat, who moved from Brad Jones Racing to join Chaz Mostert at Walkinshaw Andretti United.


This move triggered a number of other moves, including outgoing WAU driver Bryce Fullwood replacing Todd Hazelwood at BJR, while Andre Heimgartner finished up with Kelly Racing to take up the vacant BJR spot left by Percat.
 
With Fullwood at BJR, Hazelwood himself made the move back to where his Supercars journey began in 2018 at Matt Stone Racing.
 
When the South Australian was last at Matt Stone, he was only driver there, however the team has since added another car in recent times, and this year the second Holden Commodore ZB in 2022 will be steered by Jack Le Brocq.
 
Having spent the past few years at Tickford Racing, Le Brocq was part of the final driver switch in the off season as outgoing Matt Stone driver Jake Kostecki replaced him at Tickford.


Although there has been plenty of interest surrounding the drivers trading places, some of the most notable news has come from new additions – two of which are familiar faces.
 
After winning last year’s Bathurst 1000, Lee Holdsworth will enjoy his return to a full-time seat, joining David Reynolds at Grove Racing, which officially took over Kelly Racing in 2021. The other familiar name on the entry list is Chris Pither, who replaced Fabian Coulthard at Team Sydney’s successors, PremiAir Racing
 
The final two changes for 2022 see fresh drivers looking to start their careers in the main game, entering the championship with high hopes.
 
First up is young Queenslander Broc Feeney, and the 2021 Super2 champion has the biggest of shoes to fill this year as he replaces retiring seven-time champion Jamie Whincup to join current champion Shane van Gisbergen at Triple Eight Race Engineering.
 
Tickford Racing is the other team to welcome a new driver, with Thomas Randle coming into the championship behind the wheel of Tickford’s fourth entry as the 25th and final car on the grid.



Both Feeney and Randle enjoyed main game appearances through wild card entries in 2021 so neither will be too intimidated in what will be their first seasons as full-time drivers.
 
Click here for more information on this Supercars season opener at Sydney Motorsport Park.
  

The 2022 grid

Walkinshaw Andretti United
#2 Holden Commodore ZB - Nick Percat 
#25 Holden Commodore ZB - Chaz Mostert 
 
Tim Blanchard Racing
#3 Ford Mustang - Tim Slade 
 
Brad Jones Racing
#4 Holden Commodore ZB - Jack Smith 
#8 Holden Commodore ZB - Andre Heimgartner
#14 Holden Commodore ZB - Bryce Fullwood 
#96 Holden Commodore ZB - Macauley Jones 
 
Tickford Racing
#5 Ford Mustang - James Courtney 
#6 Ford Mustang - Cameron Waters 
#55 Ford Mustang – Thomas Randle
#56 Ford Mustang - Jake Kostecki
 
Grove Racing
#10 Ford Mustang - Lee Holdsworth
#26 Ford Mustang - David Reynolds 
 
Erebus Motorsport
#9 Holden Commodore ZB - Will Brown 
#99 Holden Commodore ZB - Brodie Kostecki
 
Dick Johnson Racing
#11 Ford Mustang - Anton De Pasquale 
#17 Ford Mustang - Will Davison 
 
Team 18
#18 Holden Commodore ZB - Mark Winterbottom 
#20 Holden Commodore ZB - Scott Pye 
 
PremiAir Racing
#22 Holden Commodore ZB - Chris Pither
#76 Holden Commodore ZB - Garry Jacobson
 
Matt Stone Racing
#34 Holden Commodore ZB – Jack Le Brocq  
#35 Holden Commodore ZB – Todd Hazelwood 
 
Triple Eight Race Engineering
#88 Holden Commodore ZB - Broc Feeney 
#97 Holden Commodore ZB - Shane van Gisbergen