Motorsport: New contenders as Shane van Gisbergen exit evens up Supercars

Matthew Payne celebrates at the Adelaide 500 this year. Photo / Getty Images

Now Supercars great Shane van Gisbergen has left for Nascar, next year’s series is wide open.

Sure, Brodie Kostecki won the 2023 championship but a lot of the new generation of young drivers pushed him at times. Here’s a look at some of the potential standouts of 2024.

Brodie Kostecki

His impressive year shouldn’t be tainted by the fact van Gisbergen struggled to get the best out of his car. Erebus gave Kostecki a good car but he maximised that advantage and should only get better next year as he and the team become more familiar with the Gen3 machine. He has great race craft and is a big thinker and strategist, which bodes well for his future.

Will Brown

Moving to Red Bull Racing in 2024 could be the catalyst for Brown to become a regular title contender. He showed flashes of brilliance this year but lacked the consistency to feature more prominently in the title tussle. Not having Kostecki as a teammate next year could be the incentive he needs to further excel. He’ll have his work cut out, as new teammate Broc Feeney is also a contender and already has a season in the Triple Eight Gen3 car. But Brown is a proven race winner and his fifth-place finish this year didn’t do his talent justice.

Cam Waters

The Tickford Racing pilot is starting to look the real deal after a few false starts. Touted as a championship contender, Waters earned three wins and three poles this year, and would have finished higher than sixth overall with better consistency and his car not catching fire at Darwin. If the parity issues are sorted next year and the Mustang gets an uprated aero package, Waters will be one to watch.

Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney. Photo / Getty Images

Broc Feeney

The 21-year-old impressed this year, no mean feat considering his teammate was van Gisbergen. For a young bloke, he took on the responsibility of leading the charge while the Kiwi struggled. Van Gisbergen leaving Red Bull Racing could have been a problem for the team but Feeney has shown he has the ability to win his first championship next year. Having a mentor such as van Gisbergen has set him up nicely for a stellar future in Supercars.

Matthew Payne

A Supercars superstar may have left but a fellow Kiwi is ready and willing to step up and take over. The 21-year-old showed genuine pace all year, culminating in his first Supercars win in the last race of the season. Payne outshone the other rookies, and now Grove Racing appear to have uncovered some speed in their car, he should threaten some of the more established drivers next year.

New drivers

Strictly speaking, Richie Stanaway is not a new Supercars driver, and he starts 2024 as a Bathurst winner with a reinvigorated passion for the sport. A top driver in every category he has raced, the Kiwi will be fast. Ryan Wood is another well-regarded New Zealand newcomer. His name may be unfamiliar to many motorsport fans but he is highly rated by van Gisbergen. And impressing Walkinshaw Andretti United team owners Ryan Walkinshaw, Zak Brown and Michael Andretti can only bode well for his future.