Get to know the Bathurst co-drivers: Part 1

Bathurst winners, podium finishers and former champions headline this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000 co-driver line-up.

Among them, a raft of new blood also has their sights set on Mount Panorama.

Six drivers from the next generation of Supercars stars will join the Great Race grid across October 6-9. 

Cars will hit the track at Mount Panorama for Practice 1 on Thursday October 6.

Tickets for the Repco Bathurst 1000 are available on Supercars.com and Ticketek.

The 28-car grid is the biggest for a Bathurst 1000 in nearly a decade and features three wildcard entries.

Supercars.com takes a look at the first half of the co-driver line-up for this year's Repco Bathurst 1000.

Dean Fiore (racing with Bryce Fullwood)

Fiore won the 2018 feature Super2 race

Dean Fiore returns for another Bathurst bid with Brad Jones Racing, having previously raced with Team 18. The West Aussie had success at Bathurst in 2018, winning the 250km Super2 race at the Mountain as part of a full campaign in the second-tier category. He made a cameo appearance at the Sandown Super2 round earlier this year in preparation for his Bathurst tilt. His best result in sixth in 2017 (with Michael Caruso) and 2020 (with Scott Pye).

Dale Wood (racing with Andre Heimgartner)

Wood is now a Porsche veteran

Dale Wood returns to Brad Jones Racing, this time alongside Andre Heimgartner. Wood, who drove for the team on a full-time basis in 2014 and 2015, last year signed a two-year deal to co-drive for the Albury-based team. The 166-race veteran, who won the 2013 Dunlop Super2 Series, will make his 15th Bathurst 1000 start. Wood and Nick Percat combined to finish sixth in last year's Repco Bathurst 1000, days before Wood underwent leg surgery. His best finish is fourth in 2017 alongside Chris Pither.

Jordan Boys (driving with Macauley Jones)

Boys was a Super2 title contender in 2021

Jordan Boys lines up for his second Bathurst start with Brad Jones Racing, and first since 2020. The Albury racer won races in 2021 in Super2 before looking to the main game, and made wildcard starts at Winton and Tailem Bend. Boys finished 11th in the first Sunday race in South Australia and backed it up with 16th in the finale. After two rounds, he accrued the most points out of the three wildcards. Boys crashed out of the 2020 race while partnered with Todd Hazelwood.

Jaxon Evans (driving with Jack Smith)

Kiwi Evans is a factory Porsche driver

Porsche star Jaxon Evans will make his Great Race debut with Brad Jones Racing. The New Zealander has been recruited by BJR to drive alongside Jack Smith. Evans will be the fourth different co-driver for Smith in as many years. The 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion has previously raced Porsches at Mount Panorama, winning the 2018 Carrera Cup round and finishing second in the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour.

Michael Caruso (driving with Mark Winterbottom)

Caruso and Holdsworth only just clinched third in 2009

Caruso returns for a second year co-driving for Team 18, again with Winterbottom. After 11 full-time Supercars seasons, Caruso joined Tickford in 2019 to partner Cam Waters. He raced with good mate Lee Holdsworth in 2020, before shifting to Team 18 last year. He finished third with Holdsworth in 2009.

Tyler Everingham (driving with Scott Pye)

Dubbo product Everingham will make his second Bathurst start in 2022, this time with Team 18 and Pye. Everingham has proven a title contender for some time in Super2, and 2022 has been no different. The 19-year-old broke through for a race win at Sandown's penultimate Super2 round in 2019, prevailing in treacherous conditions on his way to sixth in the final series standings. He has won two races this year already, and is fourth in the points.

Dylan O’Keeffe (driving with James Golding)

O'Keeffe made his debut in 2020

O’Keeffe will join Golding in the #31 Subway PremiAir Racing entry. O’Keeffe will be making his third Bathurst 1000 start when he lines up on the grid at Mount Panorama. He finished 11th on debut in the 2020 race, and 14th last year. The Victorian has top five championship finishes in the Super2 Series and TCR Australia Series to his name. He also finished third in the 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

Cameron Hill (driving with Chris Pither)

Triple Eight Super2 rookie Hill will make his first Great Race start with PremiAir Racing. Hill will share the #22 Coca-Cola Commodore with Kiwi veteran Pither. One of the more accomplished drivers in the Super2 field, 25-year-old Hill won the 2021 Carrera Cup title. He also won this year’s Bathurst 6 Hour, is the 2015 Australian Formula Ford Series winner and the 2017 Toyota 86 Racing Series runner-up.

Aaron Seton (driving with Jack Le Brocq)

The iconic Seton name will return to the Bathurst grid in 2022, with Aaron to share the #34 Truck Assist Commodore with Jack Le Brocq. The third-generation racer is contesting his second Super2 season with Matt Stone Racing. The 24-year-old progressed through karts and Production Cars on his way to winning the TA2 Muscle Car Series title in 2019. He is one of seven rookies in the field.

Jayden Ojeda (driving with Todd Hazelwood)

Jayden Ojeda will make a third consecutive Bathurst start and second with Matt Stone Racing. He will steer the #35 Truck Assist Commodore with full-timer Hazelwood. The Sydneysider enters this year’s Bathurst 1000 with more main game experience than his previous Great Race starts, having competing as a wildcard at the Winton and Darwin events earlier in the year. 19th in his 2020 debut aboard a Garry Rogers Motorsport wildcard is his best finish to date.

Tim Blanchard (driving with Tim Slade)

Blanchard will share the CoolDrive Mustang he operates with Slade at the Repco Bathurst 1000. Second-generation driver Blanchard stepped back from full-time driving in 2019 to focus on overseeing his own entry. He made a Super2 comeback in Townsville earlier this year, stepping in for Eggleston Motorsport driver Matt McLean. Blanchard and Slade combined to record ninth in last year’s Great Race, which is Blanchard's best Bathurst finish.

Greg Murphy (driving with Richie Stanaway)

Murphy needs no introduction, and will make his first Great Race start in eight years. He will share a Boost Mobile-backed Erebus Commodore with Richie Stanaway. The Kiwi pairing will finally make their wildcard attempt together, after it was pushed back a year due to COVID-19. Murphy, 50, is a four-time Bathurst winner, and is famous for his 2003 ‘Lap of the Gods’.

Jaylyn Robotham (driving with Matt Chahda)

Great Race rookie Robotham will steer a wildcard Commodore with fellow Super2 driver Matt Chahda. Robotham announced earlier this month that he will step aside for the Bathurst Super2 round, like Chahda, to focus on his main game duties. The 19-year-old is enjoying a career-best season in the Dunlop Series, having scored his maiden Super2 win in the Sydney opener.

Declan Fraser (driving with Craig Lowndes)

The pro and the rookie

Super2 series leader Fraser will share a Triple Eight Race Engineering wildcard with seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Lowndes. The duo completed their third and final test day aboard the #888 Supercheap Auto Commodore last Wednesday. Fraser, 22, will be one to watch at the Mountain, having impressed with his dual Super2 wins this season. The Queenslander is one of seven rookies in the field.