Tim Blanchard and Macauley Jones to reunite at Bathurst 1000

After retiring from full-time racing in 2018 to take on the owner role at Team CoolDrive, Blanchard is eager to get back behind the wheel of the Commodore as a co-driver with the young Albury racer.

The pair finished 10^th in 2016 after starting from 24^th on the grid.

"I'm really looking forward to joining Macca this year at Bathurst," Blanchard said.

"The last time we drove together was 2016 Bathurst when we finished in the top ten so I'm hoping we can replicate that result this year.

"Macca has taken a step forward as he gets used to racing in the main game, so I'm hoping to provide the support he needs this year to continue that progression.

"It will be an interesting race this year as all the co-drivers are coming into the race with very limited mileage in the lead up.

"Having worked closely with Macca and BJR over the last few years, hopefully that plays to our advantage."

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No stranger to the Endurance Cup, both as a primary and co-driver, Blanchard paired with BJR's Nick Percat last year, finishing 14^th.

With 182 races in the Supercars championship and nine Bathurst starts under his belt, Blanchard has been working hard in the past few months to prepare for the all-important final race of the season.

Jones knows the importance of gelling with a co-driver.

"It's been great to have Tim back on track the last few rounds overseeing the team as it helps to build our relationship and it makes a smooth transition when he steps in as my co-driver," he said.

"We've been going through all the data together and working closely so Tim understands everything that is going on with the car and what needs to be done.

"I'm feeling positive heading into Bathurst and having a partner with the experience and knowledge that Tim has will work in our favour.

"We've worked well in the past when we drove together back in 2016, so if we can bring it all together on the day, I know it'll be a strong result for us."

The Bathurst 1000 runs from October 15-18, but the highlight of the Australian motor racing calendar will look vastly different to previous years with just 4000 reserved seat spectators permitted to attend each day.

No camping is permitted at Mount Panorama for the event due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Brad Jones Racing's focus turns to the penultimate round of the championship at Tailem Bend in South Australia this weekend.