De Pasquale to drive Team 18 car in Bathurst tests

Anton De Pasquale will embark on his latest chapter in Supercars, as the category conducts a series of test sessions at this weekend's Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour.

De Pasquale, who has joined Team 18 from Dick Johnson Racing, will steer one of the Melbourne squad's 2024 Chevrolet Camaros at Mount Panorama.

De Pasquale and Cam Waters, who will get behind the wheel of a Tickford Racing Ford Mustang, will take to the track in four brief test sessions across Friday and Saturday.

The Team 18 and Tickford Supercars are the same vehicles that were driven by David Reynolds and Thomas Randle respectively in category testing at The Bend Motorsport Park in December.

Both cars are fitted with additional Supercars sensors for data collection, following the initial testing at The Bend, and will also run on new-for-2025 specification tyres and on a set-up generated by Supercars.

Following the testing, select results will be shared with all teams once Supercars have analysed.

The Bathurst tests are little more than seat time for the two drivers, with star recruit De Pasquale to step into his own brand-new Team 18 Camaro in coming weeks.

Regardless, the Bathurst laps mark an exciting chapter in 29-year-old De Pasquale's new life with Team 18, after announcing his deal with the team last August.

De Pasquale competed for Ford squad DJR between 2021 and 2024, having previously raced Erebus Motorsport Holden Commodores between 2018 and 2020.

The Victorian-born driver completed similar testing at last year's Bathurst 12 Hour, with a DJR Ford and Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet rolling out at the Mountain last February.

De Pasquale will shake down his new Team 18 chassis at Winton Motor Raceway on Thursday February 13, before all 24 Supercars share Sydney Motorsport Park for an all-in test day on Wednesday February 19.

Sydney 500 - Opening Round actions begins on Friday February 21. Tickets for the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour and Sydney event are on sale now.