The Blanchard is a racing team The owner has extensive experience in Formula Ford, winning the national championship in a fierce battle against Ash Walsh and James Moffat.
He then finished second in the British Formula Ford Championship the following year before returning to Australia to compete in supercars.
Even after Blanchard himself gave up regular racing, he continued to sporadically perform in the Ford Formula, mostly at historic events such as the Phillip Island Classic.
However, next weekend he will return to modern Formula Ford racing with this one-off trip to the Winton SuperSprint National Championship round.
As in the year he won the title, Blanchard will race at Mygale, which is run by Sonic Motor Racing Services, which will even have the same livery he used in 2007.
According to Blanchard, the return is a test to see if he can still mix it up with the young riders at the peak of their Formula Ford game.
If all goes well, he can take part in the race at the Walter Hayes Festival in the UK.
“I look forward to returning to Formula Ford in Winton. This is a category I have always loved and to which I have a truly modest place, ”Blanchard said.
“I’ve been involved in historic Formula Ford races for the last few years and I really enjoy driving cars, so I wanted to try a new challenge and challenge myself to all the young stars.
“The hidden program is that I really wanted to take part in the Walter Hayes Festival in Silverstone at some point, so I wanted to see how I go against the current level of drivers, and see if I’m wasting my time or not!
“I also want to keep racing miles ahead of Bathurst 1000, and with this round of Ford’s Winton Formula in Supercars accounts it’s a good chance to do that. I’m already going to be there, so I thought it was a convenient opportunity.
“There is a real nostalgia with Mick and Maria [Ritter] from Sonic too. Tim Slade prepared his Formula Ford back in 2007 with Sonic, so on Friday he will come and help the team – it’s a complete reunion.
“Also, in terms of BRT, you always need to keep an eye on the future, and what better way to evaluate future stars than to actually get in the car and go against them and see what they have.
“In terms of expectations, I have mixed feelings. For one thing, I feel it has to be ahead. I’m pretty experienced in racing, so I have to be competitive, but on the other hand, I haven’t raced in a Formula Ford based on Duratec in 15 years, and these guys are constantly racing, so I’m not really sure where I will land. “
Winton SuperSprint will be held May 21-22.
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