BRT has fifth-highest average finish in Gen3 races in Perth
Blanchard squad has better average result than DJR, Erebus
Triple Eight, WAU the teams to beat through Perth Gen3 events
It's no secret that 2025 has been a difficult campaign to date for Blanchard Racing Team in the Repco Supercars Championship.
The year started off on a sour note when James Courtney and Aaron Love had an awkward coming together during qualifying in Sydney, before Love parted ways with the team before the second event in Melbourne.
Aaron Cameron, who impressed in the CoolDrive Mustang at last year's enduros, was promptly drafted in, however the misery would only compound when Courtney crashed heavily in practice, missing both of Thursday's qualifying sessions and Race 4.
Taupō was described by Courtney as his worst ever weekend in racing, however Tasmania proved welcome relief for the squad, as the 2010 champion finished ninth in the opening race of the weekend.
This weekend's Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440 could prove another opportunity for BRT to keep gathering momentum, with Wanneroo being one of the team's strongest venues in Gen3.
Since the Gen3 era began in 2023, BRT have performed strongly in Western Australia, and of all the teams on the grid this year, have the fifth-highest average finish across the past two years in Perth.
At 11.29, BRT find themselves ahead of powerhouses Dick Johnson Racing (11.3), and Erebus Motorsport (11.5), who after five podiums in six starts in 2023, endured a horror weekend in 2024.
Reigning Bathurst winner Todd Hazelwood was within a second of claiming a podium in the first race in 2023, overshadowed by Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki's epic duel for the win, before the South Australian backed it up with seventh the following day.
Such was the 2017 Super2 champion's speed in 2023, that Hazelwood still holds the Gen3 lap record at Perth on a 55.4566s.
In his first year at the Blanchard operation, Courtney also had a strong run on Saturday last year to claim sixth, which proved to be his best result of the year.
Gen3 history points to Triple Eight and WAU - with whom BRT have a technical alliance - being the teams to beat this weekend, however Penrite Racing have also been strong in Perth, whilst Matt Payne has also claimed the past two Sunday wins in Taupō and Tasmania.
On-track action at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440 begins with two half-hour practice sessions tomorrow at 12:05pm AWST/2:05pm AEST and 1:55pm AWST/3:55pm AEST. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
Average qualifying in the Gen3 era at Perth (2023, 2024)
Position | Team | Average |
|---|---|---|
1st | WAU | 7.7 |
2nd | Triple Eight | 8.8 |
3rd | Penrite | 9.0 |
4th | Erebus | 9.4 |
5th | DJR | 10.1 |
6th | Tickford* | 10.2 |
7th | MSR | 13.6 |
8th | PremiAir | 13.9 |
9th | BRT | 14.29 |
10th | BJR (8/14) | 15.7 |
11th | Team 18 | 18.1 |
12th | BJR (12/96) | 22.4 |
*only counts cars #6 and #55
Average finish in the Gen3 era at Perth (2023, 2024)
Position | Team | Average |
|---|---|---|
1st | Triple Eight | 5.9 |
2nd | WAU | 8.4 |
3rd | Penrite | 10.7 |
4th | Tickford* | 11.2 |
5th | BRT | 11.29 |
6th | DJR | 11.3 |
7th | Erebus | 11.5 |
8th | PremiAir | 14.0 |
9th | BJR (8/14) | 15.6 |
10th | MSR | 16.5 |
11th | Team 18 | 16.5 |
12th | BJR (12/96) | 20.0 |
*only counts cars #6 and #55