CoolDrive Racing Reveals 2022 Supercars Livery

18 Feb, 2022

The Blanchard Racing Team (BRT) has taken the wraps off the outfit’s 2022 Supercars livery, with the CoolDrive Racing Ford Mustang of Tim Slade to feature a special reflective vinyl which debuted at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2021.

Continuity is key for the second year squad, which hopes to add to the strong run of finishes achieved throughout last season, with Slade ultimately placing 12^th in the standings.

For BRT Co-Principal Tim Blanchard, the most significant off-season move for the squad has been a change of engine supplier to Herrod Performance, a company synonymous with Ford vehicle enhancements.

“After our foundation year, BRT is now in a fantastic position to start building on what we established and apply what we have learnt moving forward,” said Blanchard.

“Last year was about setting the standards and looking for consistency, and I think we found that after our first few events, finishing with 14 top-ten results from the last 20 races, now it is about how we fine-tune what we do to continue to improve.

“We have not sat still over the off-season; there has been a huge progress phase in designing our own pit boom, changing to Herrod Performance Engines and several other development items we have been working on.

“Partnering with Herrod Performance Engines is exciting, we believe they share a similar approach to BRT.

“With the Gen3 program moving along in the background, we see starting this relationship now as an important change to be on the front foot for 2023. 

“Rob Herrod and Ryan Storey, through Dick Johnson Racing, have been extremely supportive and helpful in making this all happen, which we are very thankful for.

“Tim enters his second season in the same car with the same crew, and that stability should provide plenty of confidence to start the season strongly.”

For Slade, the chance to get back behind the wheel can’t come soon enough.

“To be honest I would have preferred to keep racing than have another three months off between events, especially given the interrupted program we’ve experienced over the last couple of years,” said Slade.

“The break has given us time to develop some things on the car though, so I’m excited for that.

“The livery is obviously the same with the exception of a few new team partner logos.

“I think the car has looked amazing from day dot, so if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.

“I’m excited for the year ahead and look forward to building on the solid foundation we formed in our rookie year last year.”

CoolDrive Auto Parts’ involvement in Supercars competition is the most public component of a concerted push into the performance space, which features a string of recent acquisitions and partnerships.

The addition of Racer Industries to the CoolDrive Auto Parts family has been at the forefront of the move, which sees the motorsport-focused brand’s inventory available through CoolDrive’s online platform - iShop, plus 35 branches nationwide.

The company has also placed significant emphasis on expanding its performance product range, in line with the trade of its customer base.

Examples include the Jaylec Black Series range of high-performance alternators, Koyorad high-performance radiators and oil coolers, HULK 4X4 brake and exhaust upgrade ranges, Brembo and Stolz brake enhancement kits, XS Injectors, Mantic and 4Terrain Ultimate Clutches, amongst many.

Supporting this evolution for the company, motorsport industry veteran Mathew Nilsson has also recently joined the CoolDrive team as its Business Development Manager – Performance, a role that will assist in its continued growth.

The 13 event Supercars Championship is scheduled to kick off at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 4 to 6, with the Sydney SuperNight event set to feature a challenging pair of 300km long races.