Photo: Grove Racing

Grove signs Porsche ace Kévin Estre for 2023 enduros

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Porsche factory driver Kévin Estre will make his Supercars debut later this year after inking a deal with Grove Racing to take on a co-driver role for the enduro events at Sandown and Bathurst.

Estre, currently part of the Porsche assault on the World Endurance Championship with the new 963 Hypercar, will come into the Grove line-up in place of Matt Campbell, who is unable to take up the role he held last year due to his own Porsche commitments in the IMSA series.

Although Estre will be racing in Supercars for the first time, he has appeared at Mount Panorama in the past with a number of appearances in the Bathurst 12 Hours.

The exact line-up of the two Groves cars has yet to be confirmed, although it was widely expected when Garth Tander was announced that he would would join forces with rookie Matthew Payne – leaving a vacancy alongside David Reynolds.  

“I’m really glad to join the Penrite Racing team for this year for the enduros as a co-driver,” Estre said. “It is a championship I always loved, and I remember watching races with my Grandpa on the sofa being a really young kid in France.

“I can’t wait to be in Sandown and Bathurst and drive this awesome car!”

Team owner Stephen Grove added his delight at bringing Estre onboard for the two events.

“When the IMSA calendar came out and it was evident there would be a clash with Matt Campbell, it was vital that we signed the best possible endurance driver we could find,” he said. “Kévin is an incredible talent and someone who’s had great success at the highest level for a long period of time.

“His raw speed was our first attraction to him, however his experience in long-distance races meant that he was the perfect fit. He’s used to working with some of the most accomplished racing teams in the world and we can’t wait to see what he brings to Penrite Racing.

“Having driven at Bathurst before and being a big fan of Supercars, we were confident that there would be a relatively short learning curve for someone of his stature and professionalism.”