The Blanchard Racing Team (BRT) has won the race to be the first Gen3 Supercar to hit the track, with the CoolDrive Auto Parts Ford Mustang taking to Winton Motor Raceway today, with the team’s new recruit Todd Hazelwood behind the wheel for the shakedown run.

Completed in-house at the BRT workshop, the final product sets the scene for the latest generation ruleset, which will see Mustangs line up against Chevrolet Camaros for the first time in the modern era.

To coincide with the car’s first on-track appearance, the squad has also unveiled its warpaint for the 2023 season, which will be carried by Hazelwood in his return to the CoolDrive family, after he lined up alongside Tim Blanchard for the 2017 Supercars endurance races.

“The new BRT001 in its striking CoolDrive Auto Parts colours looks amazing,” said Hazelwood.

“The metallic blue paint really makes the finish of the car look super professional, and it looks fast just sitting still.

“The team here at BRT have done a superb job with the build of this brand new Mustang.

“They have aimed for perfection in every aspect, and when you look closely at the car, you can truly see the attention to detail.

“I’m working harder than ever to ensure the long hours, late nights and commitment this team has made will be rewarded with some great results in 2023.

“I’m sure the Ford fans will love our blue CoolDrive Mustang, and I’m keen to continue with the testing and development program.”

For Blanchard Racing Team Co-Principal, John Blanchard, the opportunity to be the first to complete a car to the new regulations is a source of great pride.

“The effort that Mirko (De Rosa) and the entire crew have put into the build of this new Mustang is incredible, it is a tribute to the flexibility of a single-car operation,” said Blanchard.

“The build of the new Gen 3 car started back September last year, when we started planning and preparing our resources in anticipation. We significantly increased our manufacturing capabilities, minimised outside commitments, picked up parts to save time on freight no matter where in the country they were, built as many components in house as possible to minimise reliance on third parties and just worked hard and long hours.

“I am very proud of everyone in our business and team for what they have achieved to get this car on track by 1 February – it has been a real team effort.

“The wider CoolDrive and entire BRT businesses have been heavily involved in a massive collaborative effort, whether it is leveraging our product sourcing and supply chain capabilities, our technical support of the components, or just simply picking up parts to save time on freight.

“CoolDrive has supplied nearly 90 components to the Gen3 build working closely with Supercars. It has been imperative that we are transparent with the teams and we are confident that any component available to BRT has been also available to other teams in the same timeframe.

“It’s obviously a very exciting time for Supercars with the introduction of the Gen3 project, which will truly level the playing field for competitors.

“It’s exciting to have Todd behind the wheel of the CoolDrive Mustang for the first time, and we’re looking forward to a big season, paying off the long hours, and the blood, sweat and tears the crew have put into this program to date.”

Following today’s shakedown, the team will be entitled to an additional test day at Winton, with all Supercars teams set to converge on Sydney Motorsport Park for an all-in test on February 22.

The first race meeting for the Gen3 era of Supercars will be the Newcastle 500, which is slated for the seaside street circuit from March 10-12.