Reef McCarthy will take over Jaylyn Robotham’s Super2 seat at Image Racing at Mount Panorama, when the latter makes his Repco Bathurst 1000 debut.
Robotham is joining fellow Dunlop Super2 Series regular Matt Chahda in the latter’s eponymous team for its wildcard entry in the Great Race.
The Victorian will vacate the #999 VF Commodore, with McCarthy to step into the breach at the Erebus Academy-aligned team.
While it will be the 18-year-old’s Super2 debut, he is hardly unfamiliar to Image, having driven for the squad in the Super3 class last year, the highlight of which was a victory at Bathurst in an FG Falcon.
Since then, he has been making regular starts in the Victorian Formula Vee Championship, in which he sits second in the standings with six race wins for the year to date.
“I’m super excited to make my debut in Super2 at Bathurst. It will be a real test for me,” said McCarthy.
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“The Super2 field is a really strong category and I’m looking forward to testing my skills amongst some of the best up-and-coming drivers.
“It’s especially great to be debuting with Image Racing and I’m very fortunate that Terry and Dana [Wyhoon, team owners] have given me this opportunity, especially at the last minute.
“To have a great group of people behind me that will do whatever they can to get me out on track and give me the best car that they can is really fantastic of them.”
McCarthy is keeping a lid on expectations, having been out of Supercars competition for 10 months, although he has at least tested Erebus’s ‘Mercadore’ this year as part of an Academy day at Winton.
“I’m going into Bathurst without too many expectations on myself,” he remarked.
“I’ll have to see how my test at Winton goes firstly but I’m also just not really too sure what to expect as I’ve never raced any of the other competitors before.
“It’s been a while since I’ve raced a Supercar and I still have a lot to work on but I really hope I can get my consistency up and hopefully put together a full weekend without any dramas.”
He added, “The closest thing to a Super2 I’ve driven is the Erebus Mercadore.
“It was great to get a few laps in and brush out the cobwebs and I think I’m really going to enjoy adapting to the VF Commodore.
“Supercars is definitely still the ultimate goal for myself and any way that I can get myself amongst the category is great.
“I’m doing everything I can to continue moving forward.”
Terry Wyhoon welcomed McCarthy back to the team.
“It’s great to see Reef stepping up into the Super2 field,” he said.
“He’s a great kid, he’s really passionate so I’m happy to see him back.
“The last time he raced at Bathurst was in a Super3 and he won the final race so I’m looking forward to seeing how he’ll go and I have no doubt he’ll give it all he’s got.”
McCarthy will test on Wednesday, September 28, when Image will run alongside Erebus Motorsport at Winton, with practice at Bathurst starting on October 6.
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