IF not for a critical miscalculation, the Blanchard Racing Team would be represented by James Golding in the Supercars finals series this weekend.
Golding and Richie Stanaway took the chequered flag seventh in last month’s Bend 500, only to be disqualified for a breach of minimum driver lap requirements.
With Bathurst bringing the ‘regular season’ to an end, Golding currently sits 13th in the standings at 154 points back from Jack Le Brocq, who was the last playoffs qualifier.
In the most basic terms, the DSQ cost Golding 182 points and therefore a finals spot.
BRT boss Tim Blanchard was in Germany on business when the Tailem Bend disaster occurred, but he insisted the team had moved on from its heartache by the time Bathurst arrived.
“We dealt with that two weeks ago (i.e. prior to Bathurst),” Blanchard told V8 Sleuth.
“It’s just about finishing the year strong.”
Tim Blanchard. Pic: Mark Walker
While it is now officially out of the main game championship hunt, BRT does have a golden chance to win its maiden title in Super2 where Lochie Dalton commands a 114-point lead with two rounds remaining.
“It’s one race at a time at the moment, the old saying,” said Blanchard.
“Lochie is driving well and we’ll just keep chipping away at it. Another weekend in the bag of solid results and we’ll try to do the same at Sandown.
“Last time we went there with Perko (Jack Perkins) we had a pretty good car, so we’ll just try to make sure we have got a good car again.”
The Dunlop Super2 Series resumes at Sandown across November 6-8.
Unpacking an Epic Bathurst 1000 | The Undercut
THE Bathurst 1000 once again turned out an all-time classic race, with all of the winners and losers put under the microscope in this episode of The Undercut!