Triple Eight’s existing customer arrangements with PremiAir Racing, Matt Stone Racing and the Toyota-bound Brad Jones Racing are all set to end at the conclusion of 2025.
Likewise, BRT’s deal to receive guidance from Walkinshaw Andretti United will cease thanks to the latter’s transition to Toyota.
The success of the association with WAU is believed to have steered BRT down the customer path with a Triple Eight deal now on the cards.
BRT boss Tim Blanchard was giving little away about the plan at The Bend, but it is likely to include the squad adopting Triple Eight-built chassis in future.
The team currently fields two cars built from Pace Innovations-supplied chassis, while a new chassis constructed by Erebus Motorsport’s James White was delivered to BRT earlier this year but remains unraced.
That is now expected to be sold to Dick Johnson Racing, which switched to Erebus chassis this year before the GM team’s sudden decision to halt its customer program.
Buy tickets
BRT is set to be Triple Eight’s only data customer in 2026 with DJR, Tickford Racing and Grove Racing preferring to remain on their own paths.
The touted Triple Eight link is just one part of the BRT puzzle for 2026.
Blanchard has been unable to convince star driver James Courtney to backflip on retirement plans and continue for another season.
Rookie teammate Aaron Cameron is hopeful of staying on but currently has no guarantees as BRT assesses the market.
Those linked to the team include James Golding, who is set to leave PremiAir Racing amid a double-change at the Peter Xiberras-owned squad.
“There’s still lots to sort out, so nothing sorted at this stage for next year,” said Blanchard at The Bend of his 2026 driver line-up.
“We’re working towards [having it sorted by] Bathurst or Gold Coast.
“There’s obviously a number of young drivers around and we want to give Cammo as much time as we can to keep his development going.”
Blanchard affirmed that he’d tried to talk Courtney out of retirement. Sponsor Snowy River, which joined BRT from Tickford with Courtney in 2024, is also expected to depart.
“When all the jokes stop and you ask him seriously, he’s pretty content with his decision,” said Blanchard of Courtney.
“It kind of always has been his plan right from the start, to do two years with us and help build the team from where we were and help us with our expansion to two cars.
“We’re disappointed he’s retiring, we’d like to be able to talk him out of it, but he’s very content and the transition to life outside racing is going very well. I think he’s pretty happy where he’s at.”
Discussion about this post