Cameron Hill has lost count of how many times he has strapped himself in and cut laps around the track - but he won't forget these ones in a hurry.
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Queensland-based squad Matt Stone Racing on Tuesday became the first team to puts its Gen3 team-built Chevrolet Camaro Supercar on track - and the Canberran was first behind the wheel.
Hill drove the first of Matt Stone Racing's Camaros at the Ipswich circuit in the team's shakedown test at Queensland Raceway ahead of his first full-time stint on the Supercars circuit this year.
"What a special morning for me, to be the first driver to drive a Camaro this year, it's been really cool," Hill said.
"So far, the day has gone super smoothly. We did a couple of instal laps, the boys came in and had a look at the car, and it's all been perfect. We'll go into our test program now, try tune the car up and get ahead of the other teams."
The 26-year-old, who got a taste of Supercars as a co-driver in Bathurst last year, will become the first full-time Canberra driver in the top level of Australian motorsport since 2004 after he signed with Matt Stone Racing for the 2023 season.
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His 2023 teammate Jack Le Brocq also got a taste of the action, with the team's 2023 championship liveries to be revealed at a private launch event on Monday.
Matt Stone Racing's new Camaro was built at the team's Yatala base as Hill sets his sights on a Supercars championship tilt beginning in Newcastle on March 10.
The Camaro is replacing the Commodore on track this year to take on the Gen3 Ford Mustang, with last year marking the end of an era for Holden's lion badge on the Supercars circuit.
Two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison and teammate Anton De Pasquale turned laps in the Shell Ford Mustang under the watchful eye of team owner Dick Johnson.
Dick Johnson Racing is Ford's homologation team, tasked with developing the new Mustang with Supercars officials ahead of a new era for motorsport in Australia.
Testing for all teams will continue over coming weeks in the lead-up to the Thrifty Newcastle 500, which doubles as the opening event of the Gen3 era, from March 10.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
