Lee Holdsworth is set to join Chaz Mostert at this year’s Bathurst 1000, with a contract with Walkinshaw Andretti United apparently ready for completion.
Holdsworth, who won a three-time race, was left without a Supercars full-time seat for the 2021 season, as his two-year stint with Tickford Racing was announced as Ford’s squad scales back to three cars.
While that left him as the top seed for the Bathurst 1000, his time on the co-driver market seems to have been short-lived.
Autosport understands that Holdsworth is close to joining Walkinshaw Andretti United, where he will be a partner in Mostert for the famous Mount Panorama event.
Longtime WAU co-driver Warren Luff, who has completed the Bathurst podium four of the past six years, is also expected to retain Bryce Fullwood’s partner.
The move marks the return to Clayton for Holdsworth, who drove Holden to run Walkinghaw Racing under the 2015 Team 18 banner in 2015.
It will also bring one of the strongest pairs to enter the October classic, with Holdsworth being Bathurst ‘s temporary pole president in 2020.
The deal has not yet been made public, although Holdsworth revealed on the latest episode of the Parked Up podcast that he has a locked driver.
“I will [at Bathurst], moving on from where I was with Tickford, “he said.
“I had a great time there. But now I’m looking forward to working with one of the best teams and one of the best sights in the field to bring that race out.
“That’s what you have to do, first year out of Supercars. You have to put your skills in the right place and give yourself the best chance. I do that.”
Holdsworth combines its Bathurst driver with a full Australian TCR program, driving an Alfa Romeo run by Ashley Seward Motorsport.
After racing for Tickford for two seasons, Holdsworth’s departure from the team was linked to the loss of trustee Supercheap Auto, who backed teammate Jack Le Brocq.
A Holdsworth fan moved over to a Le Brocq car, and then the 37-year-old described leaving Supercars as a “shock” after running in the full-time series since 2006.