Kostecki, DJR to define silly season

As the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship passed its halfway mark, what promises to be a bumper silly season is now full swing.

The balance of the 2025 field is locked in, but a number of full-time drivers are off-contract, including some of the category’s biggest names.

None are more high-profile than reigning champion Brodie Kostecki, whose future has been a major talking point all season. On Friday, the first domino fell, with Penrite Racing announcing it won't renew Richie Stanaway's contract.

As we head into the mid-season break, Supercars.com takes a look at the key storylines for 2025.

The first key domino has fallen

Richie Stanaway's comeback season with Penrite Racing, which has shown glimpses of brilliance, has fallen away in recent rounds. It's important to note that Stanaway has been racing around drivers who have had many more miles in recent years, and the Kiwi's efforts have been undone in qualifying. Five days after Sydney, the team confirmed Stanaway won't return in 2025, and a replacement driver will be announced "in due course."

Will it be status quo or change at DJR?

Also on Friday, Dick Johnson Racing made headlines with Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale both shrugging off questions over their future. Davison and De Pasquale have been DJR's line-up since 2021. Davison, 13 years De Pasquale's senior, is keen to race on, and did his chances no harm in claiming a drought-breaking pole in Sydney.

De Pasquale has also been linked to Penrite Racing, which could now come at the expense of Richie Stanaway. De Pasquale has a personal sponsorship with the Groves, and has previously raced with the team in GT events.

Where will Kostecki land?

Brodie Kostecki is off-contract with Erebus Motorsport at the end of the season, and Dick Johnson Racing and PremiAir Racing have emerged as the main suitors, should he test the market. Regardless, a new team would be Kostecki's second in Supercars, given he has raced for Erebus since his 2021 debut.

Who would replace Kostecki, should he move on? Todd Hazelwood did his chances of a 2025 comeback several favours with solid performances substituting for Kostecki at Bathurst and the Grand Prix, while their upcoming enduro pairing is also intriguing. The team also recently locked in a co-drive for Jayden Ojeda, who has been successful in several categories in recent years.

Erebus also has history in promoting rising stars, given Kostecki and Will Brown were elevated together in 2021. Academy drivers Jobe Stewart and Jarrod Hughes would benefit from another season in the Dunlop Series, while the team also has ties to Cooper Murray, who drove an Erebus Camaro last September.

Then, there's now-free agent Richie Stanaway, who joins the silly season market. Stanaway has ties to the team, racing a third Erebus Commodore at the 2022 Great Race, which proved pivotal in his eventual Triple Eight and Penrite Racing opportunities.

The young guns in the market

Kai Allen may be just 19, but the Super2 champion is hot property. Dick Johnson Racing has placed Allen alongside Davison for the enduros, with the teenager debuting in a DJR wildcard last year with Simona De Silvestro. Naturally, should a vacancy open up, DJR would be a logical fit for Allen. However, with Penrite Racing moving Stanaway on, rising star Allen could test the market.

Cooper Murray is another name quickly making waves, with the Melbourne driver scoring a plumb call-up with Triple Eight this year. Murray raised eyebrows with a Shootout berth on debut in Darwin, and should he impress alongside Craig Lowndes, he could drive his way into a main game seat. Last year, Murray drove an Erebus Camaro at an evaluation day.

That's what Declan Fraser did in 2022, when he scored a 2023 seat with Tickford Racing. After Tickford downsized to two cars for '24, Fraser sealed a strong co-drive with Andre Heimgartner. Could Fraser race his way onto the grid again?

What then for PremiAir?

Nothing has been formally announced at PremiAir Nulon Racing for 2025, but it's believed James Golding is part of the team's plans. Tim Slade is far better than his championship standing suggests, with the veteran strong over one lap, but luckless in the races. PremiAir has taken a big step forward in 2024, with Golding sitting eighth overall, having claimed a pole in Darwin and four top fives. Amid the Kostecki rumours, the team also has rising star Cameron McLeod on its books, with the teenager to race with Slade at the enduros.

Season No. 22 for Frosty?

Mark Winterbottom is off-contract at Team 18, but given his experience and commercial value to the Mount Waverley squad, it would be of little surprise if he went around again in 2025. Winterbottom has already claimed podiums at the Grand Prix and Darwin, but along with teammate David Reynolds, has struggled for overall consistency.

Remarkably, two starts at the next round in Tasmania will see Winterbottom start his 600th Supercars race in a row, which will be a championship record. The 2015 champ has started every Supercars race possible since was forced out of the final two Shanghai races in 2005.

2025 Repco Supercars Championship grid

What we know so far (as of July 26, 2024)