Top 10 relief for CoolDrive squad after 'average' AGP

Todd Hazelwood’s stirring run to ninth in the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint proved a lift for CoolDrive Racing after a torrid run.

Hazelwood vaulted his #3 CoolDrive Mustang from 20th in ninth in Race 6 to end the Albert Park weekend on a high.

Prior to Sunday’s race it was anything but, with Hazelwood undone by disqualifications.

The 2017 Super2 champion qualified 20th, 25th, 23rd and 20th for the four sprints, and was later subject to a technical breach.

An incorrect gear ratio saw Hazelwood excluded from the Race 3 results, and forced to the rear for Race 4.

Come Sunday, and Hazelwood gained 11 positions to end the weekend in the top 10, a result team co-owner Tim Blanchard labelled a “relief” in the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.

Critically, unlike other teams, CoolDrive Racing will have an easy run to Perth with Hazelwood keeping the car out of trouble.

"It was good to get ninth in the final race after an average weekend for us,” Blanchard said.

"A good result at the end of the weekend always gives everyone a lift.

"We had a few issues early in the weekend, which put us on the back foot, and there were also a couple of problems during qualifying for the last two races.

"Still, we had no damage over the weekend so we can concentrate on resting the team and having a solid preparation for the next meeting in Perth.

"We’ve also got another weekend of data to help as we learn the Gen3 Mustang.”

Hazelwood heads to Perth 19th in the points, but is just 58 points from the top 10.

The South Aussie driver was a standout at Wanneroo last year with results of ninth, 10th and eighth in the three sprints.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint on April 28-30.