Changing camps: The biggest moves of the modern era

Make no mistake, Brodie Kostecki's recently-announced shift to Dick Johnson Racing and Ford for 2025 is a blockbuster move, and one of the most significant in the modern era.

The reigning champion will trade an Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet for a DJR Ford next season, in what is the biggest driver defection in years.

The Blue Oval has already embraced Kostecki, with global Ford motorsport boss Mark Rushbrook saying: "Brodie Kostecki joining forces with Dick Johnson Racing in 2025 is fantastic news for Ford, for DJR and for the sport. There is little doubt that together, they will be a formidable combination."

Kostecki's move has proven a big talking point, and will pick up again when the season resumes at Sandown this weekend. The 26-year-old has raced General Motors machinery since debuting in Supercars in 2019, and now looms as a key player in Ford's title hopes next season.

Few things divide fans of both camps than a driver defection. In the wake of Kostecki's move, Supercars.com highlights the biggest moves between brands of the modern era.

Holden to Ford: Craig Lowndes, 2001

When it comes to sheer impact, no driver move in the history of the championship rivals Craig Lowndes’ switch from Holden to Ford for 2001. Lowndes won three titles with the Holden Racing Team in the late 1990s, and was the brand's poster boy. By 2000, Lowndes and HRT began to drift apart, and Mark Skaife was on track for his first of three straight titles with the team. Lowndes signed a mega deal with Gibson Motorsport, which moved on Greg Murphy and Steven Richards and joined the Blue Oval. Lowndes remained with Ford until the end of 2009, when Triple Eight switched to Holden. In nine years as a Ford star, Lowndes won Bathurst three times and became a title contender with Triple Eight, but remained on a championship drought that continued until his 2018 retirement.

Holden to Ford: Russell Ingall, 2003

Russell Ingall was a late 1990s and early 2000s powerhouse with Perkins Engineering and Holden, twice winning Bathurst with Larry Perkins. However, a title proved elusive, before a move to Ford and Stone Brothers Racing in 2003 delivered a championship two years later. Ingall won on debut with Ford at the non-championship Albert Park round, and later claimed the 2005 crown. He returned to Holden in 2008 with Paul Morris Motorsport, before steering a Ford in Chaz Mostert's absence at the 2015 Gold Coast 500. He was a surprise co-driver with Rick Kelly and Nissan in 2016, before a final wildcard in a Commodore alongside Broc Feeney in 2021.

Ford to Holden: James Courtney, 2011

James Courtney debuted in the 2005 enduros with Holden, but was one of Ford's big name stars when he debuted full-time with Stone Brothers Racing in 2006. He sealed a move to Dick Johnson Racing in 2009, and come 2010, he was on course for the title he so sorely craved. A week before he clinched the crown in Sydney, it became clear Courtney was off to Holden and HRT in 2011, and he duly took the #1 to the team. Courtney wouldn't win another title, but would win plenty of races before returning to the Blue Oval amid strange circumstances in 2020. After leaving the Walkinshaw stable for Team Sydney, Courtney departed after one round, and found himself in a Tickford Mustang amid the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is still with Ford, racing with Blanchard Racing Team, which looms as his final home amid impending retirement.

Ford to Holden: Shane van Gisbergen, 2013

Shane van Gisbergen was one of Ford's rising stars after being picked up by the Stones, but at the end of 2012, it seemed he was lost to Supercars. He had two wins to his name with Stone Brothers Racing, and while he wasn't (yet) a champion, he had a big future. He departed SBR amid "personal reasons" but, instead, wasn't keen to be part of the team's new era as Erebus Motorsport with Mercedes-AMG equipment. Van Gisbergen returned with TEKNO Autosports and Holden in Adelaide to kick off the 2013 season, triggering a passionate response from fans and legal action from his former team, which was settled out of court. He duly won on debut, shifted to Triple Eight in 2016, won three championships, and Bathurst thrice.

Holden to Ford: Mark Winterbottom, 2019

Mark Winterbottom seemed a Ford man until death, or so it seemed until his surprise move to Team 18 and Holden for 2019. Winterbottom was loyal to Ford, first winning the Ford Kartstars scholarship in 2001, before moving through Formula Ford, Super2 and into the main game with Ford support. He was the Blue Oval's hero after moving to Ford Performance Racing (now Tickford) in 2006, winning Bathurst (2013) and a championship (2015). However, as the likes of Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters became forces to be reckoned with, Winterbottom sought change and found it in the form of Charlie Schwerkolt's team. Instead of the new Mustang, Winterbottom took a Commodore built by long-time rival Triple Eight. He would have to wait until 2023 to win with the team, but despite two more podiums in 2024, wasn't retained for 2025. Could he return to Ford in a co-driving capacity next season?

Ford to Holden: Chaz Mostert, 2020

Like Winterbottom, Ford was all Chaz Mostert knew. The 2010 Formula Ford champion, Mostert debuted in Super2 in a Falcon, scored pole on debut, and finished sixth (2011) and third (2012) in Fords. Mostert was called up mid-season to the main game by DJR in 2013, and he delivered a shock win at Queensland Raceway. It led to promotion to the factory Ford team alongside Winterbottom, where Mostert remained until 2019. Bathurst victory in 2014 was the clear highlight, but Mostert was unable to tick off a championship. A huge move to Walkinshaw Andretti United followed, Mostert shifting to Holden in 2020. He added a second Bathurst win in 2021, before the team's high-profile move to Ford ensured Mostert once again became a prized part of the Blue Oval family. At the time of publication, he is currently fighting for the title, with Ford once again a key part of Mostert's rise to the top.

Chevrolet to Ford: Brodie Kostecki, 2025

Reigning champions moving teams and changing brands? It doesn't happen often, with Courtney's 2011 move the last to attract such attention. Kostecki was the Camaro king in 2023, winning the championship and helping Erebus to the top of the pile. However, his title defence began two rounds late, with headline after headline following driver and team amid a rollercoaster start to the year. Anton De Pasquale replaced Winterbottom at Team 18, facilitating Kostecki's DJR deal. Could he go where few others have, and become champion once again in a different camp?