Sweeny puts hand up for 2026 BRT promotion

Super2 rookie Bailey Sweeny has stated that if the opportunity for a main game promotion at Blanchard Racing Team comes calling for 2026, he will make the leap.

The admission comes as Blanchard Racing Team officially have two seats to fill for the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, with one change definite with James Courtney's imminent retirement.

Having run a two round Super2 cameo last year for enduro co-driver Jack Perkins, BRT rejoined the Dunlop Super2 Series full-time this year, and tapped 22-year-old Sweeny to drive the #33 Mustang.

Sweeny, who hails from Batemans Bay in NSW, was pushed onto the back foot early by a mechanical retirement in Sydney, but rebounded strongly in Tasmania, qualifying third in the inaugural Boost Mobile Top Five Shootout.

"We came into the year knowing we weren't going to be guns blazing at the front every weekend, there's a lot to learn," Sweeny told Supercars.com.

"It's been an up and down year so far, but definitely plenty of positives we can take out and hope for some good results in the rest of the year to come."

If he can maintain his upswing in form from Tasmania, Sweeny could emerge as a silly season prospect alongside Super2 frontrunners Rylan Gray and Zach Bates, who have or will make wildcard starts in Supercars this year.

There is precedence for BRT to promote from within, with Aaron Love promoted to a full-time berth after a rollercoaster 2023 Super2 season that saw him claim a win at Bathurst on route to ninth in points.

Aaron Cameron is thought to be safe to remain in the seat vacated by Love at the opening round in Sydney, whilst former Tickford junior Zak Best will make his Supercars comeback alongside Cameron in the Enduro Cup.

Sweeny said that if the opportunity presented itself, he would jump at the chance, however remaining in Super2 to hone his craft would be a more realistic outcome.

"Obviously I'd like to be in main game as quick as I can, but I think I just need to do the best job I can in Super2 and see what comes up," Sweeny said.

Townsville will be Sweeny's first Dunlop Series event on a street circuit, and his first event at the Reid Park circuit since competing in Toyota 86's in 2022.

Sweeny will be one of a number of drivers who have competed in what is now known as the GR Cup in Townsville, but says that experience could count for little: "I've been to Townsville before in the 86, but when we were doing the pre-brief the other day I found out there were some corners that actually weren't corners in an 86.

"The track is going to be a lot different in a Supercar, so some of the corners were easy flat and you didn't think about it, but now they're going to be proper corners in a Supercar this time.

Last year's Townsville event saw BRT play a starring role with Jack Perkins, who claimed his first round win since 2019, and Sweeny is eager to build upon that foundation.

"It should be good knowing we've got a good setup to to roll out of the gate with, we're up against teams that have got four, five cars, so it's good to know we have a good package to roll out," Sweeny said.

"It should be a strong weekend, the car was strong there the past few years so we're looking forward to hopefully being strong out of the gate."

Dunlop Super2 Series action in Townsville begins on Friday with dual 40-minute practice sessions at 8:25am AEST and 12:25pm AEST. Tickets for the NTI Townsville 500 are on sale now.