Smith to make third Supercars wildcard appearance

With previous outings in Tasmania and Winton already under his belt, Super2 regular Smith is set to line up on the main game grid for a third time at Hidden Valley.

It will be the first time he's come in unfamiliar with the track, though, having had precious Super2 experience to draw on during his other main game starts.

“I’m excited to join the grid at the Darwin event," said Smith.

"The Hidden Valley circuit is one that I have not been to before, so I’m keen to learn the new circuit. I plan on spending a while on a simulator and will go through all the on-board footage, gathering as much info as I can so I can be as prepared as possible heading into the weekend."

According to Smith, making a third wildcard start is all about getting miles under the belt for a future Supercars endurance campaign.

“Getting the consistency in doing back-to-back rounds is really valuable, there are many differences between the Super2 and Supercar formats, and the intensity is really something else," he said.

“The Super2 races are much shorter and don’t have the knockout qualifying format you see on some Supercar weekends. In these races you are having to manage tyres a lot more and complete pitstops, which for anyone looking to step up into Supercars, are things you need to learn and what the whole wildcard process is about.

“For me, my next goal is to drive in the Endurance Cup, and the wildcard experience will be a huge benefit to me. I’ve driven at Sandown and Bathurst in Super2 and at Gold Coast in Super3, so I know those tracks.

"I am doing all I can to put my best foot forward for when that time is right, and the team have been a great support in me working towards that.”

Brad Jones Racing is expected to field Ash Walsh alongside Tim Slade and Tim Blanchard alongside Nick Percat at this year's long-distance races, but is yet to name a partner for Macauley Jones.