Blueprint-era Falcon joins Sandown Super3 field

Image Racing is set to field a Stone Brothers Racing-built FG Ford Falcon in the Super3 class for Victorian youngster Antonio Molluso.

It’ll mark the first time since the 2023 season-opener that a Blueprint car, those built prior to the Car of the Future’s introduction in 2013, will compete.

Molluso raced the Falcon in two rounds of the V8 Touring Car Series last year and will drive another SBR-built FG at a Sandown state round this weekend.

Image team boss Terry Wyhoon is optimistic that the older machinery can be competitive in the Super3 field.

“We’ve got a similar car that we’re going to run for him this weekend in Victorian Sports Sedans, and then three weeks later we’ll go and have a crack at Super3,” Wyhoon told Supercars.com.

“It’ll be the only Project Blueprint car in the field, but Sandown is a place where those cars always went well, I don’t think he’ll be too far behind them, so it’ll be interesting.”

The entry is a much-needed addition to the Super3 class, which has had just two regular competitors this year – a pair of MW Motorsport Nissan Altimas.

It follows an announcement that sidelined TCR Australia driver Bailey Sweeny will join the category at Sandown aboard an Image Racing Commodore VF.

Early COTF-era cars – namely the FG X Falcon, VF Commodore and Nissan Altima – became eligible for Super3 last season, alongside the Blueprint machines.

Last year Blueprint cars also had the option of racing in the Australian Racing Group-run V8 Touring Car Series, but that series is not being held in 2024.