Albury, Australia – Brad Jones Racing (BJR) has announced a significant restructuring of its engineering department ahead of the 2026 Supercars Championship season, as the team prepares to integrate Toyota’s new V8-powered GR Supra into its lineup. The changes see key personnel shifting roles to support the ambitious program, which will see BJR field three Supras.
The team will field cars for André Heimgartner, Macauley Jones, and newcomer Cam Hill. Meanwhile, the SCT Motorsport entry has transitioned to Triple Eight Race Engineering.
A central move sees highly respected engineer Phil Keed, previously responsible for Bryce Fullwood’s #14 entry, assigned to Heimgartner’s #8 car for the upcoming season. This promotion underscores the importance BJR places on maximizing Heimgartner’s performance as a championship contender.
Conversely, Tony Woodward, Heimgartner’s former engineer, has departed BJR after eleven years with the team. He has joined Blanchard Racing Team to engineer James Golding’s car, marking a notable shift in the Supercars engineering landscape.
Filling Keed’s position on Hill’s #14 car is Jason Bonney, who steps up from his role as a data engineer. This internal promotion demonstrates BJR’s commitment to fostering talent within its existing structure.
Randall Chua has also been promoted, moving from data engineer to race engineer on Macauley Jones’ machine. This swap sees him taking over from Paul Scalzo, who remains head of engineering across all three BJR cars.
Julian Stannard, previously the race engineer for the SCT car, will now focus on performance engineering, adding another layer of specialized expertise to the team’s technical capabilities.
Team owner Brad Jones emphasized the importance of these internal promotions, stating that they align with BJR’s core philosophy. “We had a need to restructure our engineering department coming into 2026, obviously with going down to three cars and then developing the Toyota program in our team,” he said. “I think what we’ve achieved with this restructure is playing into our strengths.”
Jones expressed confidence in the team’s capabilities, adding, “We have a lot of fire power in this team and I have the confidence that they can achieve the goals we’re mapping out. I have a lot of belief in giving people the opportunities and presenting pathways through our team, and both Jason and Randall have proven themselves countless times. They’re both not only capable but highly skilled and have worked incredibly hard for our team. I’m excited to see what Jase and Randy can do.”
BJR is currently focused on preparing its three Toyota GR Supras for the new season, working closely with homologation team Walkinshaw TWG on the new venture. The team recognizes the significant undertaking involved in introducing a new manufacturer and chassis to the championship.
“This is a massive year for our team. I can’t overstate that,” Jones added. “We all feel the pressure but that’s when our crew does their best work. I’m so proud of how this Toyota project is coming along and can’t wait to get racing.”
The restructuring at BJR signals a clear commitment to maximizing performance with the new Toyota Supra, and the team’s internal promotions highlight a belief in nurturing talent from within. As the 2026 Supercars Championship approaches, all eyes will be on BJR to see how their new engineering structure translates to on-track success.
