Blanchard Racing Team has this afternoon shocked the Supercars paddock, sweeping the front row in the first qualifying session of 2026 at the DUNLOP Sydney 500.
After finishing last in the teams’ championship in 2025, the Ford Mustang squad will start the opening race of the season from first and second, led by newcomer James Golding in the No. 7 CoolDrive Ford Mustang. Golding claimed Boost Mobile Pole, with teammate Aaron Cameron to line up alongside in the No. 3 Liqui-Moly BLAHST Ford Mustang.
The session was tightly contested, with the Blanchard pair edging out reigning Bathurst 1000 winner Matt Payne in the No. 19 Penrite Ford Mustang and 2025 Boost Mobile Pole Award winner Broc Feeney in the No. 88 Red Bull Ampol Ford Mustang.
Payne and Feeney will start third and fourth for tonight’s 26-lap opener, while Team 18’s Anton De Pasquale will launch from fifth in the No. 18 DeWalt Chevrolet Camaro. Rookie Zach Bates impressed on debut, qualifying sixth in the No. 10 Bendix Chevrolet Camaro.
There was early frustration for defending Supercars champion Chaz Mostert, who qualified 20th in his first competitive outing in the new Toyota GR Supra, driving the No. 1 Mobil 1 Optus entry. Aucklander Andre Heimgartner will be the leading Toyota starter in 10th in the No. 8 R&J Batteries Supra, with Mostert’s teammate Ryan Wood next best in 15th in the No. 2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Supra.
The 2026 season officially begins tonight with a 26-lap, 100-kilometre race at 7:50pm. Live coverage of the DUNLOP Sydney 500 is on Foxtel and the Seven Network, with live streaming on Kayo and 7plus.
Tickets and corporate hospitality are available via Supercars.com and Ticketek, alongside registrations for DUNLOP Free Friday, which offers free General Admission to Friday of the event.
