A father-son team is set to take on Australia’s greatest race, the Bathurst 1000, with support from one of motorsport’s most well-known names; Walkinshaw Andretti United.
Matt Chahda, who races in the second-division Super2 Series, will step up to the top-flight Supercars Championship when he makes his Bathurst 1000 debut later this year.
There, Chahda will be supported by his father Amin, who will serve as the team principal of the wildcard effort.
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A co-driver to join the 28-year-old has not yet been announced, although Nine’s Wide World of Sports understands a current Super2 Series frontrunner is the favourite for the seat.
“As drivers, we aspire to take part in Australia’s great race,” Matt Chahda said.
“To have the opportunity this year is an absolute highlight for me.
“My sincere thanks to my MCM family, sponsors, Supercars and WAU for helping make this a reality for me.”
The Albury-born driver will swap his Ford Falcon FG X for a Holden ZB Commodore, prepared by the famed Walkinshaw Andretti United outfit.
The team lends its name in part to the late Tom Walkinshaw, who was a prolific Formula 1 and Supercars team owner as well as a driver for the eponymous team.
Last year, Walkinshaw Andretti United won the Bathurst 1000 with Chaz Mostert and his co-driver Lee Holdsworth.
That victory catapulted Holdsworth into a full-time return to the Supercars scene with Ford squad Grove Racing.
For Mostert, it was his second Bathurst 1000 win after winning in just his second attempt in 2013 with Paul Morris.
Chahda and his yet-to-be-announced co-driver will pilot a ZB Commodore of an identical specification to last year’s race-winning car.
“We are delighted that Supercars has granted us a wildcard for Bathurst,” said Amin Chahda.
“Our family has shared Matt’s dream of driving in the main game, and after six seasons in Super2, we will do everything in our power to make his debut a success.
“We would like to thank Bruce Stewart (Walkinshaw Andretti United team principle) and the team at WAU for their support in providing one of their chassis and engines to support this entry.”
The Walkinshaw Andretti United-supported Matt Chahda Motorsport-run entry is the fourth such wildcard effort in this year’s Great Race.
Erebus Motorsport will field four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy and Richie Stanaway in a ZB Commodore backed by Boost Mobile.
Dick Johnson Racing will provide some support to Bathurst local Michael Anderson under the Anderson Motorsport banner. That team has yet to announce a co-driver to join Anderson in his Ford Mustang.
Arguably the most high profile of all is that of seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes who will drive a Triple Eight Race Engineering-run Supercheap Auto-sponsored ZB Commodore with rookie Declan Fraser.
The latest wildcard announcement takes the 2022 Bathurst 1000 grid to 29 entries, which takes place across October 6-9.
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