Bathurst 1000 grid locked in ahead of 2021 Great Race
The 2021 Bathurst 1000 field is now set with confirmation that Kurt Kostecki will join brother Jake at Matt Stone Racing.
That means the 26-car, 52-driver field is locked and loaded ahead of the 2021 running of the Great Race.
There is little in the way of consistency in the driver pairings this year, with the Triple Eight cars the only two bringing the exact same line-up into the race.
Reigning winners Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander will share the #97 while legend Craig Lowndes will partner Jamie Whincup in his final race as a full-time driver.
Other staying at the same team, but shifting into different entries, are James Golding at Team 18 (sharing with Scott Pye), Jono Webb at Team Sydney (sharing with Fabian Coulthard), Warren Luff at Walkinshaw Andretti United (sharing with Bryce Fullwood), James Moffat at Tickford (sharing with Cam Waters) and Tony D'Alberto at Dick Johnson Racing (sharing with Anton De Pasquale).
Technically Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki fall into that camp, however they were promoted from co-driver roles to full-time seats for the 2021 season.
There have been some late re-shuffling among the co-drivers, with Australia's international border situation complicating matters for some teams.
DJR was set to welcome Scott McLaughlin back for Bathurst, the three-time series champion expected to partner De Pasquale while D'Alberto shared with Will Davison.
However McLaughlin pulled the pin so he could focus on his IndyCar off-season, DJR moving D'Alberto in the #11 and recruiting Alex Davison to partner brother Will.
Tickford had a similar problem with US-based Alex Premat, the Ford team's Super2 driver Zak Best getting a call-up as a replacement. Best, who will partner Jack Le Brocq, will be the only Bathurst 1000 rookie in the field.
Kelly Grove Racing needed a late change of plans too due to a scheduling conflict with Earl Bamber, who was signed to partner Andre Heimgartner. Matt Campbell was drafted in as a replacement and may well get more pre-Bathurst laps than expected, the Porsche ace touted as a potential David Reynolds sub for the final Sydney Motorsport Park event.
The field features two wildcard entries, one from Triple Eight (Russell Ingall/Broc Feeney) and one from Erebus Motorsport (Greg Murphy/Richie Stanaway).
However there is still a question mark over the latter due to ongoing travel restrictions with New Zealand, where both drivers are based.
2021 Bathurst 1000 entry list
| Team | Primary Driver | Co-driver | Car |
| Dick Johnson Racing | Anton De Pasquale | Tony D’Alberto | Ford Mustang GT |
| Dick Johnson Racing | Will Davison | Alex Davison | Ford Mustang GT |
| Triple Eight Race Engineering | Jamie Whincup | Craig Lowndes | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Triple Eight Race Engineering | Shane van Gisbergen | Garth Tander | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Triple Eight Race Engineering | Broc Feeney | Russell Ingall | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Tickford Racing | Jack Le Brocq | Zak Best | Ford Mustang GT |
| Tickford Racing | Cam Waters | James Moffat | Ford Mustang GT |
| Tickford Racing | James Courtney | Thomas Randle | Ford Mustang GT |
| Blanchard Racing Team | Tim Slade | Tim Blanchard | Ford Mustang GT |
| Erebus Motorsport | Will Brown | Jack Perkins | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Erebus Motorsport | Brodie Kostecki | David Russell | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Erebus Motorsport | Richie Stanaway | Greg Murphy | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Team 18 | Mark Winterbottom | Michael Caruso | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Team 18 | Scott Pye | James Golding | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Walkinshaw Andretti United | Bryce Fullwood | Warren Luff | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Walkinshaw Andretti United | Chaz Mostert | Lee Holdsworth | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Brad Jones Racing | Jack Smith | Ash Walsh | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Brad Jones Racing | Nick Percat | Dale Wood | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Brad Jones Racing | Todd Hazelwood | Dean Fiore | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Brad Jones Racing | Macauley Jones | Chris Pither | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Kelly Grove Racing | Andre Heimgartner | Matt Campbell | Ford Mustang GT |
| Kelly Grove Racing | David Reynolds | Luke Youlden | Ford Mustang GT |
| Team Sydney | Fabian Coulthard | Jonathon Webb | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Team Sydney | Garry Jacobson | Dylan O’Keeffe | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Matt Stone Racing | Jake Kostecki | Kurt Kostecki | Holden ZB Commodore |
| Matt Stone Racing | Zane Goddard | Jayden Ojeda | Holden ZB Commodore |
Related video
First images of Gen3 Mustang, Camaro Supercars teased
Gen3 Mustang Supercar completes first laps ahead of 2023 debut
Ford: F1 return wasn’t possible without changes to engine rules
Ford would not have returned to Formula 1 without the major changes to the engine regulations for 2026, according to its motorsport boss.
Mercedes takes BoP hit after rapid Bathurst qualifying
Mercedes teams have been dealt a hefty Balance of Performance blow ahead of tomorrow's Bathurst 12 Hour following Maro Engel's lap record-breaking effort in the Top 10 Shootout.
Lapierre to skip 2023 WEC season as Alpine steps down to LMP2
Nicolas Lapierre is set to be absent from the World Endurance Championship grid for the first time since 2015 this year, following Alpine’s step down to LMP2.
Ford still not satisfied with Supercars Gen3 parity
Ford continues to harbour concerns over the parity between the Mustang and Camaro Gen3 Supercars following the latest round of prototype testing.
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022
When Nissan ruled Australia with its 'Godzilla' Group A special
The Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R was the fastest Group A touring car ever. It cleaned up at the Bathurst 1000 and in the Australian Touring Car Championship, and is fondly remembered by the drivers who monstered it to success on the world-famous Mount Panorama
Ranking the top 10 Supercars drivers of 2021
It may have been a one-man title fight in Supercars this season, but behind dominant champion Shane van Gisbergen were some fascinating performances. Autosport picks out the best drivers of the 2021 campaign.
The well-travelled racer now Supercars' elder statesman
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing, as Andrew van Leeuwen explains
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
OPINION: Roger Penske's operation helped lift Dick Johnson's faltering Ford team back to the top of Australian tin-tops. But, despite The Captain's departure, along with star driver Scott McLaughlin, there's no reason to expect an imminent decline from DJR
Why Whincup's next move is no calculated gamble
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But the team's outgoing boss Roland Dane has full faith that he'll be up to the task
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.