BATHURST'S Anderson Motorsport will have more competition on the road this year after the Super2 garage and all their rivals will be joined on the grid by Super3 teams.
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Supercars announced on Tuesday that the third-tier Australian V8 Touring Car Series will merge into the Dunlop Super2 Series to form a bumper support grid.
Dubbo's Tyler Everingham will be steering Mick Anderson's Commodore, formerly run by James Courtney, across four rounds at Winton (July 18-19), Sandown (September 19-20), Bathurst (October 8-11) and Sydney Motorsport Park (December 12-13).
The two series will compete in the same races under different classes, with the V8 Touring Car Series reverting to its 2019 guise as the Super3 Series.
Wins in each race will be awarded to the first-placed Dunlop Super2 Series competitor and the top Super3 Series competitor.
Both categories field old-generation Supercars; VF Commodores, FG X Falcons and Nissan Altimas take part in Super2, with older Falcon models EB to FG and Commodores VP to VE II eligible in the third tier.
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Supercars chief operating officer Shane Howard said competitors will run on their respective tyre compounds in each race.
"It's pleasing we have reached an agreement with both series officials to allow more of Australia's best young drivers to compete together as part of our revised calendar," Howard said.
"By combining these two categories into singular races, it will provide exposure for team sponsors and bolster the number of competitors on track.
"The primary focus for us is around the driver pathway. This combined category gives Super3 Series drivers the opportunity to rub shoulders with competitors running in Dunlop Super2 and helps them to become more familiar with how to race Supercars."
Super3 Series category manager Liam Curkpatrick said the merging of the classes is "a win for the sport".
"Our competitors are pleased to run with Super2 and to be at big events like Bathurst will be excellent on a number of levels. It offers the entire field great opportunities.
"Super3 will have its own sporting and technical regulations, our own points system, our own podiums - almost everything remains separate other than the on-track action.
"And we haven't seen class racing in Supercars before, so this will be new territory for a lot of the drivers and teams."
Nine current Super2 drivers previously competed in the Super3 Series, while six Supercars Championship drivers including 2019 Dunlop Super2 Series champion Bryce Fullwood also drove in the category.
Jack Smith was the Super3 Series champion in 2017 while last year's Mike Kable Young Gun Award winner Everingham claimed the same title in 2018.
Several Supercars teams have invested in all three categories, including BJR which re-signed young talent Madeline Stewart for the 2020 Super3 Series.
