Supercars’ testing rules for both the main series and second-tier class allow first year drivers two extra test days, for which they can venture to a circuit outside of their home track.
Several rookies opted to run at Sydney Motorsport Park ahead of the season-opener at the same venue, which was a luxury the 22-year-old TCR graduate did not enjoy.
BRT therefore dispatched its Super2 truck and a skeleton crew to Launceston for a test last Wednesday, with the equipment now parked up at a local CoolDrive outlet.
“With how late the whole deal came around with BRT, it wasn’t possible to test at Sydney,” Sweeny explained to Speedcafe.
“We looked at the calendar and there were two other tracks you could test at that we’re going to race at. One of them is Queensland [Raceway], which is towards the end of the calendar, and Tassie.
“Whether you test at Queensland or at Tassie you’re going to get a benefit, so we thought we’ll get the benefit early in the year rather than later.
“It was definitely beneficial and just hoping it’s a dry weekend and we see the benefits from it.”
While official channels were notified, the team ran the test out of the public eye – with no social media posts or promotion – in a bid to keep expectations in check ahead of the race meeting.
Sweeny had a mixed start to his Super2 career in Sydney, qualifying 11th and finishing 14th on Saturday, before a 13th place Sunday grid slot came to naught with a mechanical failure.
“We missed the boat a little bit with myself in qualifying trim, we didn’t quite maximise the tyre which put us on the back foot both days,” he said.
“We had pace in the first race and also the second before we had a drama. The results didn’t really show it but I think there’s plenty of positives and all the right ingredients are there.”
While the new tyre pace is clearly a work in progress, Sweeny has impressed the team with his ability to adapt from the 300bhp, front-wheel-drive TCR machines to the Mustang Supercar.
“Straight away I felt comfortable,” he said. “Fine tuning that last little bit of lap time is the hard part, but I think we’re getting on top of it.
“The transition couldn’t be any more different in terms of what type of car they are, the driving style is different as well, but it’s not been too difficult to adapt.”
In keeping with the theme of under-the-radar outings, Sweeny has already sampled BRT’s Gen3 Mustangs, driving both the CoolDrive and Snowy River cars during a post-Sydney ride day.
“That was a good experience. They couldn’t get me out of the car… I did quite a few laps!” he said.
“My goal is to keep learning as much as I can and progress up the way with BRT. Hopefully that’s where it ends up.”
BRT is set to reveal a sponsor for Sweeny’s entry in the lead-up to the May 9-11 Symmons Plains event.
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