After missing LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Queensland, Dean Campbell will make his return to Monochrome GT4 Australia at the upcoming visit to Darwin with a brand new co-driver and a fully revamped Ford Mustang GT4.
Joining Campbell for the historic round at the famous Hidden Valley Raceway will be rising star Cody Burcher, who brings plenty of experience behind the wheel – especially in the series itself.
A proven race winner in Monochrome GT4 Australia, Burcher was a regular over the previous two seasons, putting together some big campaigns alongside Tim Leahey in the latter’s BMW M4 GT4 G82 after joining the team midway through 2024.
Burcher’s introduction to the series started on a high as he and Leahey produced a trio of Silver Cup victories - two of which came on his debut weekend - two pole positions and another podium in their three rounds together.
In 2025, the pair linked back up in the Silver Cup and enjoyed a victory, a podium and a handful of top-five finishes before missing the final three races of the year and eventually finishing fifth in the class.
Outside of Monochrome GT4 Australia, Burcher has built a strong résumé in Australian motorsport with experience in Super2 and Super3, Toyota GR Cup and Formula Ford.
Burcher’s appointment is a major acquisition for Campbell, who will be keen to get his season back on track after an interrupted start to the year.
Having kicked off 2026 strongly with a podium and victory at Phillip Island, Cam Crick was sadly forced to miss the visit to The Bend due to illness and was replaced by Tom McLennan, who unfortunately had a big off early in the weekend, forcing the car to retire due to major damage.
Although Method Motorsport worked tirelessly to get the car ready for Queensland, they just missed finishing the rebuild due to elements outside of their control - ultimately keeping Campbell out of the event.
Despite a points deficit from having missed four races this year, Campbell remains a slim chance to secure Silver-Am Cup honours and will require a big weekend behind the wheel of the Method Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4 - with Burcher a worthy addition to help the New South Welshman in his title bid.
Racing in the Silver-Am Cup, the pair will enjoy two practice sessions on Friday before completing two qualifying sessions and the opening race on Saturday, before wrapping up the round on Sunday with the final race.
LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Darwin takes place at Hidden Valley Raceway on July 24-26 as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries.
QUOTES
Cody Burcher
#118 Method Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4
"I'm really excited to be back in Monochrome GT4 Australia. I've competed in the category over the past couple of years, so it's great to return and join a fantastic team in Method Motorsport and a great driver in Dean Campbell," Burcher said
"The priority is helping Dean achieve the result he's chasing in the championship. Whatever I can do to contribute to that is what I'm here for. We'll focus on doing the best job possible and hopefully put ourselves in a position to achieve something special.
"I've had a really enjoyable couple of years racing across a range of categories, and although it will be my first time driving the Ford Mustang GT4, the opportunity to drive another type of car is something I'm really looking forward to, and I'm excited for the challenge and to see what we can accomplish together.
"When the opportunity to drive with Dean came up, it didn't take me long to say yes. Obviously, I wish Cam all the best with his continued recovery and hopefully we'll see him back at the track soon, but in the meantime, I'll do everything I can to help Dean in his Silver-Am Cup title campaign and hopefully contribute to some strong results."
Dean Campbell
#118 Method Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4
"The support from my sponsors, Chaz Mostert and Aaron Reed at Method Motorsport, and everyone involved with the team has been incredible. Their encouragement and hard work have been a huge motivation in getting us back on the grid, and I'm really grateful for everything they've done," Campbell said.
"I also have to acknowledge the incredible efforts of Multimatic in Canada, in particular Sean Mason, who played a big role in working with the Method Motorsport guys and helping get the Ford Mustang fixed – without his work, there is no telling if I would be back for this event.
"As for Cody, he is someone I've had a lot of respect for since I first met him. He's a very capable driver and a proven race winner in the series, and just as importantly, a genuinely good person. When he became available, I thought he was the perfect fit for what we're trying to achieve.
"I also spoke to Tim Leahey about Cody and he couldn't speak more highly of him. That gave me even more confidence that he'd be a great addition to the team. I'm looking forward to working with him and hopefully he can help me move back up the standings."