Anton De Pasquale is set to join the Supercars Championship next year, signing a deal with Bathurst winning team Erebus Motorsport.
Having won the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 2013 and following a Championship winning stint in Formula Renault in Europe, De Pasquale joined the Dunlop Super2 field in 2016.
Now, sitting fourth in this year’s Championship with one round remaining, De Pasquale has signed on the dotted line.
“It’s a dream come true and I’m very lucky to get this opportunity, so I will take it with two hands,” he said.
“I’m very excited to be joining Erebus on a multi-year deal, I really enjoyed my first taste with the team at the Evaluation Day and they have a lot of potential still to come.
“I’ve already worked with the team so I’m not going in blind, I have a good idea of who everyone is and also what they expect out of me.”
De Pasquale took his first podium at Bathurst last year, and has followed it with a further four podiums, two wins and two pole positions.
“There will be a jump from Super2 and an element of the unknown but you get that when you step up in anything you do,” he said.
“I believe with the right crew around me and especially having David as my teammate, I have the best opportunity to learn as quick as possible and keep moving forward.”
Erebus Motorsport’s Head of Engineering Alistair McVean says he was impressed with the young gun’s speed and technical feedback.
“He is clearly a talented driver and what we have experienced with Anton so far has been very impressive,” he said.
“His feedback was clear, concise and accurate, and most of all he was fast and mistake free.
“We were impressed by his ability to push Dave to the point where Dave had to stretch himself to go another level to go faster; it was clear from this point on that Anton was a star of the future.”
General Manager Barry Ryan also believes they will be a formidable combination in the future.
“We are delighted to have secured Anton, his local and European championship winning experience along with his raw speed and natural talent is exactly what we need to complement David and our team,” he said.
“Our plan has always been to develop a team that grows and wins together and we are excited to bring more fresh talent into Erebus and Supercars.”
De Pasquale will jump on board the newly built #99 ZB Commodore at the team’s test day in February, ahead of the season’s Adelaide 500 opener, March 1 – 4.