Garry Rogers Motorsport driver James Golding will return to the Repco Supercars Championship grid full-time at Townsville as he joins PremiAir Racing.
Golding replaces Garry Jacobson in the Subway-backed Holden ZB Commodore following the team parting company with the latter after the most recent Supercars round at Darwin.
Since GRM pulled out of Supercars at the end of the 2019 season, the 26-year-old has continued his involvement with the team through S5000 and mentoring many young drivers within the stable.
Joining Team18 for the last two campaigns where he teamed with Mark Winterbottom to finish eighth in 2020, before a disastrous campaign alongside Scott Pye led to an early retirement due to a power steering failure.
In fact, he was in contention to win Bathurst in 2019 until a late pit stop dropped him to 11th partnered by Richard Muscat.
Making his Repco Supercars debut at the 2016 Sandown 500 partnering James Moffat in a GRM Volvo S60, Golding was elevated into a full-time role in 2018 as he finished a best of 20th in the championship in his final full-time tilt in 2019.
Although expected to return to Bathurst with Team18 this year, it was confirmed by the Melbourne-based squad this was not going to be the case before PremiAir Racing’s Golding announcement as it re-examines its options.
For Golding, it’s an opportunity to cement a place back on the Repco Supercars Championship grid.
“I’m stoked to be joining the PremiAir Racing team as the driver of the Subway car for my long-awaited return to Supercars,” Golding said.
“I’d like to thank everyone that has been involved in getting this deal over the line, especially Peter Xiberras for giving me the opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the team, and I can’t wait to get to Townsville.
“It feels great to be racing full-time once again, especially after what felt like such a long time away.
“In saying that, the break has given me time to reflect and re-focus.”
PremiAir Racing Team Principal Matt Cook was delighted to welcome Golding to the team.
“We are very excited to have James join the team,” Cook said.
“He is a fast young man that comes to us with a wealth of experience and talent.”
Another new recruit is experienced engineer Dr Geoffrey Slater, who had two stints with the team when under the ownership of the Webb family.
Repco Supercars Championship action begins at Reid Park, Townsville this Friday at 10:10am AEST.