One of the best-credentialed drivers from this part of the world, Earl Bamber made his Supercars debut in the 2018 PIRTEK Enduro Cup.
Bamber partnered fellow New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen at the Red Bull Holden Racing Team, finishing second at Sandown.
He arrived with an impressive CV featuring a pair of Le Mans 24 Hour victories and a 2017 World Endurance Championship title with Porsche.
After a karting career that included placing third at the Rotax Max World Finals, Bamber moved into single-seaters, initially in New Zealand Formula Ford.
His first steps overseas netted the 2006 Formula BMW Asia title, and second in the '07 Formula V6 Asia Series.
Along with Toyota Racing Series campaigns in his homeland, Bamber's drives over the following years were budget-limited, in classes including Australian Formula 3, GP2 Asia and the Euroseries F3000.
Bamber took podiums in the short-lived A1 Grand Prix and Superleague Formula classes, but opportunities dried up.
After a stint on the sidelines, winning Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2013 piqued the attention of the German manufacturer and set up the next phase of his career.
Performances in its Cupcar and GT machinery - including taking out the 2014 Supercup – earned Bamber a drive in Porsche's third LMP1 car for Le Mans in '15.
With Nico Hulkenberg and Nick Tandy, Bamber won the iconic race, doubling his tally in 2017 with fellow Kiwi Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard.
Bamber, Hartley and Bernhard also took out the 2017 WEC drivers' championship, before Porsche ended its LMP1 program and he returned to GT competition.
