Walkinshaw TWG Racing is preparing to confirm a new co-owner after a year of significant change for one of Australia’s most prominent touring car outfits. Former shareholder United Autosports exited the ownership group in late 2025, prompting a rebrand from Walkinshaw Andretti United to Walkinshaw TWG Racing and returning the team to majority Walkinshaw Group and TWG Motorsports control. The reshuffle followed TWG’s Dan Towriss assuming control of Andretti Global in early 2025 ahead of that organisation’s planned Formula 1 entry with Cadillac, underlining how increasingly complex multi-series governance and investment structures are reshaping modern motorsport.

Three-partner structure back in focus

Ryan Walkinshaw said this week on Lucky Dogs that the team expects to unveil a fresh equity partner soon, reiterating a preference for a three-way ownership model. “We’ll look for another partner now because we do want to have that three-partner model going forward,” he said. “It’s really, really important for the team and it does help with a bunch of different other things financially.”

The model reflects the organisation’s history of shared ownership, which has previously brought together Walkinshaw’s local manufacturing heritage and international racing investors. Walkinshaw argues that a structured three-way split can balance decision‑making power, provide governance clarity and reduce dependence on any single backer during periods of regulatory or commercial change in the Supercars ecosystem.

Investor with existing ties linked to buy-in

New Zealand businessman Scott O’Donnell has been strongly linked to the potential stake. O’Donnell, a director of the HWR Group with interests in transport and property, already has an established association with the team through his backing of driver Ryan Wood.

Bringing in an investor with existing ties is seen within the paddock as a way of minimising disruption to the team’s operations and ensuring alignment on long‑term strategy. Any deal would still be subject to category approvals and the standard ownership disclosures that apply to Supercars entrants, designed to ensure that competition integrity and financial sustainability benchmarks are met.

Brown’s departure and governance considerations

Walkinshaw said he does not know the full reason Zak Brown elected to depart the team. Speaking on Lucky Dogs, he suggested Brown may be streamlining his team interests to pursue a larger governance role in the sport, noting potential conflicts that can arise for figures serving on an FIA board or Formula 1 leadership position. “If you’re a CEO of Formula 1, for example, you can’t really own shares in other race teams,” Walkinshaw said, adding that similar constraints apply to FIA board roles.

Those conflicts are not purely hypothetical. Global motorsport has steadily tightened its conflict‑of‑interest safeguards, from team ownership cross‑holdings to the way senior officials interact with commercial rights holders. Any shift by Brown towards a more formal regulatory or governance role would likely require a clear separation from team equity and operational decision‑making, mirroring wider trends in how international sport is overseen.

What the ownership move could change on track and off

A third shareholder would spread financial risk and can accelerate medium‑term planning at a time when teams are investing in personnel, simulation, and vehicle development. For Walkinshaw TWG, an additional capital partner could:

• Support technical programmes around chassis tuning and reliability across a long, travel-heavy calendar.
• Strengthen commercial bandwidth for sponsorship, hospitality, and fan engagement initiatives that underpin team budgets.
• Provide stability for multi‑year planning in engineering and driver development, critical as rivals continue to refine Gen3-era packages.

Behind the scenes, a more settled cap table also makes it easier for teams to respond to any future changes to cost controls, safety mandates or technical directives issued by category organisers, aligning on how capital is allocated when rules evolve.

Current competitive footprint

Walkinshaw TWG fields Toyota Supras in the Supercars Championship for Ryan Wood and reigning champion Chaz Mostert. With internal ownership clarity and a third partner expected to be named, the team’s focus will remain on converting resources into consistent points across street circuits, permanent venues, and endurance rounds where operational depth often decides outcomes.

The Walkinshaw organisation’s broader footprint – from its long-running performance manufacturing arm to prior factory programmes – means the Supercars entry is also a flagship for wider automotive and commercial relationships. A timely resolution of the ownership question is therefore being watched not only by fans, but by sponsors and regulators focused on the stability of one of the grid’s benchmark operations.

Key points at a glance

• United Autosports exited in late 2025; the team rebranded to Walkinshaw TWG Racing as ownership consolidated under Walkinshaw Group and TWG Motorsports.
• TWG, led by Dan Towriss, took over Andretti Global in early 2025 ahead of its planned F1 entry with Cadillac, adding complexity to how key investors manage cross‑series interests.
• Ryan Walkinshaw says a new equity partner announcement is imminent and reiterates a preference for a three-partner ownership model.
• Scott O’Donnell, of HWR Group, is strongly linked to the stake and already backs driver Ryan Wood.
• Walkinshaw speculated that Zak Brown may be positioning for a larger governance role, highlighting potential conflict-of-interest rules for senior officials and board members.
• The team currently campaigns Toyota Supras for Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert in the Supercars Championship.