A clear favourite has emerged to take BJR-bound Tim Blanchard’s place at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport and a deal could be struck as soon as this weekend’s Coates Hire Sydney 500.

LDM team boss Barry Hay confirmed the favourite had emerged after as many as four drivers, including Blanchard, had been in negotiation for the drive alongside emerging star Nick Percat in 2016.

“The guys we were talking to were all a fair way away in terms of money or talent and as it turns out one of them has stepped it right up in the last week and a half before we heard from the Blanchards (about Tim’s move),” explained Hay.

“So it was more good timing as opposed to good management. They got a whole lot more serious about how they wanted to approach, so we are hoping to … come out about a driver before Christmas for sure.

“It just depends on how it develops. It was moving super-slow but just in the last week it has stepped right up and now it’s moving quite quick. So we could go to Homebush and release something a couple of days afterwards.”

While Hay wouldn’t name potential names, the former Super Black Racing driver Andre Heimgartner is known to have been seriously considered by LDM. Another Kiwi driver linked to SBR, Ant Pedersen, has been mentioned in connection with the team as well.

Contracted Erebus Motorsport driver Ash Walsh – whose drive was taken at Phillip Island by Dean Canto and in Sydney this weekend by Alex Davison – has also been linked to the seat but is not thought to be in the frame.

Hay stressed that as a small team the commercial package a driver could bring to LDM was important. But he was also adamant that talent was a key factor.

“Money is only part of the criteria. Next year we are trying to step up significantly. We want to have a red-hot go. We want to have a proper team. We don’t want to have a superstar and a wood duck who has paid a squillion dollars but will be last every time or crashing cars.

“Crashing cars affects your development because you are always in panic mode and next year is going to be particularly bad because of the way the calendar is constructed.

“We are pretty serious about the teams’ championship and getting the team as far up pitlane as we can next year as part of our progression. So having an acceptable driver in the second car – because we give them an equivalent car to Nick – that is all part of the big plan.”

Hay also confirmed there were important meetings happening this weekend at Sydney Olympic Park that tied in to the team's plan to build on its promising 2015 season and lift its performance once again next year.

“There are a lot of things I have been working on particularly hard this year,” he said. “We are concentrating hard on next year. That involves a lot of things for us next year. We will probably come out with a lot of things in the next few weeks.”

LDM runs Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden Commodore VFs, but they are not current specification and it does not have engineering support or use T8’s engine supplier KRE. Its current engine deal is with Noonan Race Engineering.

“We want to up-spec cars, engines and equipment next year,” Hay said. “We are taking next year extremely seriously, especially with some of the staff we have hired for next year.”

Hay said Blanchard left without hard feelings.

“Tim went to school with Lucas and Percat and all that crew and they are all buddies, so it’s just a thing for Tim to progress as opposed to any bad blood, or cars, or anything like that.

“He just felt it was something he needed to do. I reckon he will hang around the workshop as much as he did when was driving here. So everything is sweet there.”