Chahda calls up Vaughan for enduro wildcard

Brad Vaughan will become the latest rising star to make his Bathurst debut, with Matt Chahda Motorsport calling up the young driver for this year’s enduros.

Tickford Racing junior driver Vaughan will race with Matt Chahda in a wildcard Chevrolet Camaro at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000.

Chahda and Vaughan will race a Triple Eight Camaro Supercar, with the privateer Chahda squad purchasing chassis 888A-057 from the champion team.

The car in question was raced by Broc Feeney in 2023, with the Camaro taken to a famous victory at the Sandown 500.

The Chahda/Vaughan Camaro will sport the #118, which was carried by the Chahda squad’s previous wildcard at the 2022 Bathurst 1000.

Super2 stalwart Chahda will make his second Bathurst start, having raced to 18th with Jaylyn Robotham in an ex-Walkinshaw Commodore two years ago.

As it was in 2022, the Chahda team was keen to hand a young driver a shot at the main game, with Vaughan — aged just 20 — getting his chance.

“This is going to be our second wildcard, and this time, we get to do Sandown and Bathurst,” Chahda said.

“Last time was a dream come true, and now we're just really expanding on it.

“Speed's obviously a big thing, and plus, he has a bit of experience being the Super3 champion, that's a huge deal. Obviously one of the front pack guys in Super2 at the moment, so that's where you want to grab them from.

“It’s so special. Our whole family puts it together and puts everything into it. It's hard to explain really, because you spend so much time working on it, you don't spend much time really thinking about it.

“Getting our hands on the car, we've got a Triple Eight car coming. We only get two test days, so they're a big deal. We've got to be well-prepared for them.”

Chahda and Vaughan will race against Super2 rivals Kai Allen (Dick Johnson Racing), Cooper Murray (Triple Eight) Cameron Crick (Matt Stone Racing) and Cameron McLeod (PremiAir Nulon Racing), with Vaughan, Murray, Crick and McLeod making their Bathurst debuts.

For Vaughan, who won the 2022 Super3 title, a maiden Great Race start is a “dream come true."

"Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to race in the Bathurst 1000,” Vaughan said.

"Matt said he wanted someone from Super2, so it's sort of good we've raced each other the last few years, so hopefully we can put that knowledge into the main game. To be doing it will be a 'pinch yourself’ moment."

Chahda and Vaughan will resume their Dunlop Series campaigns at this weekend's NTI Townsville 500, with track action commencing Friday.

2024 enduro line-ups: What we know so far (as of July 5, 2024)