Walkinshaw confirms Super2 return

The famous Supercars squad has long been expected to field cars in the second-tier next season using Gen2 chassis no longer eligible for the main game.

That programme has now been made official, WAU confirming that it will run a pair of Gen2 cars in Super2 alongside the new Gen3 cars in the top tier.

The Super2 entries will continue to use the Holden ZB Commodore body shape, however the cars won't be fitted with any Holden or General Motors badges due to WAU's sensational defection from GM to Ford.

Instead the cars will run with the WAU logo on the front grill.

This will be the first time that WAU has had a formal presence in Super2 since 2012 when Nick Percat, now part of the team's main game line-up, finished fourth.

The experienced Robb Starr will be team manager of the Super2 programme while Warren Luff will take on a Driver Development Advisor role.

The team has already locked one of its two drivers in, highly-rated young gun Zach Bates set to enter the Supercars system.

Bates has been dominant in Toyota 86s the past two seasons and also has a New South Wales Formula Ford title to his name.

He is also the nephew of Australian rally great Neal Bates, while his cousins Harry Bates and Lewis Bates have both won Australian Rally Championship titles.

“We are so excited to have Zach Bates join us in our Super2 programme for 2023, he is such an impressive young man in every aspect,” said Bruce Stewart, Walkinshaw Andretti United Team Principal.

“Returning to the Dunlop Super2 Championship has been a big focus of ours, but only with the right people involved. It’s a really important pathway for not only Zach and other drivers, but staff as well, from mechanics [and] engineers.

"It creates a pathway for a variety of different roles within our sport, so we are rapt to be competing, and to have Zach representing us.

“Importantly, we have some incredibly talented people involved, with Rob Starr leading the programme, with over 32 years of experience in our team, as well as Luffy there to help guide and nurture the young drivers with everything they have to deal with across the season… who better to learn from.

“We are really excited to see Zach develop in 2023, I’m sure his talent will become clear to all pretty quickly.”

The 2023 Super2 season kicks off alongside the main game at the Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.