Photo: Blanchard Racing Team

Todd Hazelwood switches to Blanchard Racing team for 2023

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Todd Hazelwood will move from Matt Stone Racing to the Blanchard Racing team for the 2023 Supercars season.

Hazelwood will replace Tim Slade at the wheel of BRT’s CoolDrive Racing-backed Ford Mustang as the series heads into the Gen3-era.

The 27-year-old previously raced for the team when it was run by Brad Jones Racing back in 2017, partnering team principal Tim Blanchard at Sandown, Bathurst and Surfers Paradise.

Prior to that, he had contested one event with MSR as a wildcard and would then go on to spend two years with the team prior to a move to Brad Jones Racing.

After a single year back at MSR, he will now enter a sixth full season in the series.

“I am very proud that I’ll be joining the Blanchard Racing Team in 2023 and I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of the CoolDrive Ford Mustang,” he said.

“The team at BRT has big ambitions for the future and I’m looking forward to the challenge of pushing myself to achieve the goals put in place.

“BRT has an incredibly professional outfit which includes very experienced personnel with strong resources within the automotive industry. With all this combined, I have no doubt this will help the team and I achieve our goals in 2023 and beyond.”

Team owner Blanchard said he was pleased to bring Hazelwood in for what will be the third season for the team as a standalone outfit, with plans also being put in place for an entry into Super2 with an as-yet-unknown driver.

“We would like to welcome Todd to BRT for the 2023 season, as we take on the challenge of the Gen3 era,” he said.

“Todd has established himself in the series over recent years and we are confident that in our environment working alongside Mirko De Rosa, he will be able to fulfil his potential that has been evident to date.

“In 2023 we will enter our third season as a standalone team and continue to build on the foundations we have laid, we are investing in additional infrastructure, assisting Supercars with the Gen3 project, and we are excited to add a Super2 program to the business as an additional tool to develop talent within the team.

“We would like to thank Tim Slade for his contribution to BRT in its foundation years, while it is disappointing we couldn’t reach an agreement for 2023, we wish him all the best for his future.”

Slade is widely expected to move to PremiAir Racing for 2023.