James Rosenberg is to hand back his #222 Racing Entitlement Contract to V8 Supercars at the end of the current season, leaving Nick Percat without a drive for 2015.
The license has underpinned Nick Percat’s HHA/Coates Hire entry since he joined Walkinshaw Racing for his first full-time V8 Supercars season in 2014, but Rosenberg failed to enter the Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) before the December 1 deadline.
The team has operated at a loss after struggling to find other substantial sponsorship this season and coupled with the lack of REC revenue over the past 18 months has left Rosenberg bankrolling Walkinshaw Racing’s fourth entry.
Giving back the REC could open the door for Charlie Schwerkolt, owner of the #18 REC for Jack Perkin’s entry at Ford Performance Racing to switch to Walkinshaw Racing keeping Walkinshaw Racing as a four car outfit and putting new driver signing Lee Holdsworth in a Holden, despite having only just joined the Ford Performance Racing customer team.
Percat currently sits 12th in the Championship standings ahead of the Sydney NRMA 500 season finale, having achieved 12 top-10 race finishes including a third-place finish at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Oliver Gavin and a close second at Sydney Motorsport Park. The 26-year old switches back to Coates Hire colours on his #222 Holden for the final round and has his focus on a top 10 Championship finish to cap off his last race meeting of his rookie season.