After a podium finish and fourth overall for the round at Sandown, BRDC Rising Star Thomas Randle is ready to face one of the biggest challenges of his young career when the Dunlop Super2 series arrives at the mountain that is Mount Panorama this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2018 championship.
“It is great that there has only been a short two and a half week break since the last round, and I have been waiting all year for this one,” says Randle. “This will be my first time ever racing at Bathurst, and to be driving around there in a Tickford Racing Ford FG-X Supercar – the same chassis that took Mark Winterbottom to victory in the great race in 2013 – is something I could only dream of as a kid watching it on television.”
“The last time I was in the Skye Sands Tickford Racing Falcon was at Sandown Raceway which turned out to be a really great round for us. I wasn’t sure how I was going to adapt to the super soft tyre compound after never previously experiencing them, so to have come away with third in race one and fourth overall for the weekend exceeded my expectations.
“We are back on the hard tyre this weekend which is really good for me. My plan is to just build up to it slowly through the first two practice sessions, so we have a straight car to fight for a good position in qualifying. The race is 41 laps long, so anything can happen. This will also be the longest race I have ever driven in my career thus far. The key for me will be to just enjoy every second of it and the speed will come. To finish first, first you must finish.”
This weekend's action kicks off bright and early Thursday morning with one 40-minute practice session. The second 40-minute practice session is staged for Friday morning followed by a 30-minute qualifying session in the afternoon. A small 15-minute warm up session will be held on Saturday morning before the 250km 41 lap mini enduro later that day. There will be one compulsory pit stop for fuel and tyres during the race.
Schedule: Practice 1: THU 8:45 (40 Mins)
Practice 2: FRI 10:20 (40 Mins)
Qualifying: FRI 15:05 (30 Mins)
Warm Up: SAT 9:35 (15 Mins)
Race: SAT 14:55 (41 Laps), 250km