Morrow, Vaughan make up two-car Tickford Super2 team in 2023

TICKFORD RACING – 2023 SUPER2 SERIES LINE UP

30 November, 2022
Two-time Dunlop Super2 Series champion team Tickford Racing will enter an expanded development series program in 2023, with newcomers Elly Morrow and Brad Vaughan joining the Melbourne-based squad’s two-car team next season. It will be the first time the team has entered a multi-car program in Supercars’ development series since 2017.

The duo will compete in Tickford-prepared Ford Mustang Supercars which have raced in the 2022 Supercars Championship season, and will retain their technical specification in their transition to Super2 competition. Regulations from the “Gen2” era of Supercars will progress to Super2 from 2023, making the Mustang eligible for the first time in the development series following its 2019-2022 stint racing in the main game.

Elly Morrow joins Tickford for her sophomore season in the Dunlop Super2 Series, having raced for Brad Jones Racing in 2022. The 23-year old from Victoria – who made her car racing debut in late 2021 – is keen to get behind the wheel of one of the team’s Ford Mustangs, and continue building on her learnings from her rookie year in the Super2 ranks.

“I’m looking forward to racing with Tickford Racing in 2023,” Morrow said. “It’s going to be cool driving a Mustang straight off of the main game grid, and it’s a little extra special coming from a family that has always barracked for Ford. I’ve only been racing in cars for about 12 months which has been a big learning curve, but I’ve really enjoyed learning how it all works and am excited to learn more working with Tickford. I’ve been really happy with the environment they have and learning how they operate, and I’ve never had a team mate in Super2 before so I’m looking forward to working with Brad. We did an evaluation day with Tickford a couple weeks ago and the car was really good to drive, it really did all you could ask for, so that’s made me that little bit more excited for next year, I can’t wait to get started. 

South Australia-born Brad Vaughan is a rising talent in his own right, impressing in his first year driving Supercar machinery. The 18-year old heads into this weekend’s Adelaide 500 with a shot at the Dunlop Super3 Series crown, coincidentally driving the same Ford Falcon FG that Cam Waters took to the Super2 title in 2015, and is thrilled to be stepping up to the top of the Supercars development ladder in 2023.
 
“I’m really excited to join Tickford Racing next season,” the teenager from Angaston said. “We’ve raced in Super3 this year and have had a very successful year, it’s been great for learning a V8 and gets you on the big stage, but I’m really looking forward to hopping in a Ford Mustang. Jumping from a Project Blueprint car to a Gen2 Supercar Mustang will be a big learning curve, but we’ll be right. I have some great people around me both in Tickford’s Super2 program and the main game team, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s the best seat, I believe in Super2 in 2023, so while it’ll take some learning I feel like I have no excuses, I can’t wait to get after it with the team in the new year.”
 
Tickford Racing Managing Director Rod Nash commented on the team’s refreshed development program, and the direction of its Super2 team from next season.
 
“Tickford Racing has a long history of developing young talent into future stars of our sport, and we are extremely happy to add Elly and Brad to our program in 2023,” Nash said. “With the progression of Gen2 regulations to Super2 we felt the time was right to expand our Super2 team again and really build on our reputation for helping today’s talent become tomorrow’s stars, and we have a great opportunity to do just that with our 2023 driver line-up. We have a long-term vision with both Elly and Brad, we’re very excited about their potential in the sport and are looking forward to developing them through our program from 2023.”
 
“The team is also excited to be supporting the Women in Motorsport philosophy,” Nash continued. “I’m a big supporter of this and enjoy watching any progression of women competing and advancing in motorsport in general. Having been part of these programs before – way back with the Castrol Cougars in the late 90s and another brief stint with Simona de Silvestro early in her Supercars career – we’d love to see Elly as the next female Supercars driver, so we look forward to working with her and Brad, and having some fun along the way.”
 
Tickford driver Zak Best, who currently sits second in the 2022 Super2 championship heading into this weekend’s finale at the Adelaide 500, will retain a racing role with the team in 2023, although he will not be competing in the Super2 Series.
 
Tickford Racing Team Principal Tim Edwards expanded on the team’s position with 21-year old Best, and also expressed his enthusiasm for the team’s 2023 line up.
 
“Zak has done a tremendous job in Super2 these last two seasons,” Edwards said. “His progression on and off the track has been exceptional and he has become an excellent example of what our development program is about. Zak will still be racing with us in 2023 – and we will announce those plans in due course – but we will focus our Super2 efforts on developing Elly and Brad from 2023.”
 
Morrow and Vaughan recently got their first taste of a Tickford Mustang at an evaluation day ahead of the Adelaide 500, where both drivers
 
“Elly and Brad were both genuinely impressive at the eval day,” Edwards said. “They made no mistakes and their pace was solid; considering that 12 months ago neither of them had ever driven a Supercar before they did a great job. Obviously our focus this weekend in Adelaide is on delivering a Super2 championship with Zak, but we have a lot to be excited about for next season, and are looking forward to having Elly and Brad on board.”
 
The Dunlop Super2 Series concludes its 2022 season this weekend at the Adelaide 500, where Tickford Racing driver Zak Best sits second in the drivers’ championship. The 2023 Super2 season will kick off at the Newcastle 500, taking place March 10-12 on the streets of Newcastle, where Morrow and Vaughan will make their race debuts with Tickford Racing.
 
Ends.