Gold Coast 500 - Day Three
SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER
MAIN GAME
On Sunday at the Gold Coast, the team was filled with anticipation for the final day of the round. Following a successful Saturday with both cars performing exceptionally well, there was optimism in the air. However, the team remained grounded, recognising the importance of focus and strategy as they prepared to tackle the challenges that lay ahead on the track.
Thomas expressed his excitement ahead of the day, saying, “I'm looking forward to getting out there." Reflecting on the previous day's performance, he acknowledged the challenge of replicating that success, noting, “It’s probably going to be tougher today. Our race cars are quite strong, so while we might want to find a bit more speed, the old saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ We’ll utilise all our strengths and ensure I do my job on the track.”
Qualifying saw Thomas Randle secure P11, narrowly missing out on the shootout by an extremely close margin. Cam Waters, however, successfully made it into the top ten and advanced to the shootout. Reflecting on his qualifying performance, Thomas acknowledged the hectic nature of the session. “It’s tough, you know. We had the car to do it, but I didn’t do a good enough job on my lap. I’m a bit hard on myself, It was a pretty frantic session; we came out of the gate strong, but it became chaotic with the red flag. I should have been in the top ten, but since we’re not, we’ll just focus on leveraging the race car's strengths in this 85-lap race this afternoon.” When asked about the strengths of his race car, Thomas added, “It seemed pretty good on tyres yesterday and had solid turn-in. Fingers crossed we can replicate that today, but it’s going to be trickier starting from the pack. The key is to get through the first lap and then work our way forward.”
Cam was also focused as he prepared for the shootout. “You just watch what others are doing—what they’re struggling with or excelling at—and how that compares to qualifying. The track looks pretty fast today, possibly better than yesterday, which is encouraging. There’s plenty of grip out there; I just need to have a go and see how we perform.” In the shootout, Cam ultimately crossed the line in P7. The team then shifted their focus to the upcoming 250 kilometre race, determined to move both cars forward despite starting further back in the pack, confident in their fast race pace.
In the race, Cam finished in P4 while Thomas crossed the line in P5. The cars have been the best we've seen all year throughout this weekend. However, the missed opportunity in qualifying put the team on the back foot from the start. Despite this setback, both drivers executed fantastic races, and the engineers and crew delivered flawless support throughout.
With this performance, Tickford Racing came away from the weekend with the most points as a team, extending their gap to third place and solidifying their position in second in the teams’ championship. There is a strong sense of momentum as the team looks to finish the season on a high note in Adelaide.
Reflecting on his race, Thomas Randle said, “It wasn’t too bad of a day. Qualifying P11 made things a bit tricky, and I should have been in the shootout, but I made a mistake on my lap. The car was awesome in the race; we moved up and finished fifth. It was a pretty clean race, and I had quite a big moment at Turn 2 early on, so I was happy to get away with that. The boys and girls in the pit were faultless, and finishing fifth is really cool. Cam finished fourth, and we scored the most points as a team this weekend, which is a big positive. I moved up to seventh in the drivers’ championship and am looking to break into the top five, so great momentum leading into Adelaide!”
Cam Waters added, “I had a really great weekend. I made a small mistake in the shootout, which put us back in the pack, but we had such a fast car that I managed to fight back to P4. I just missed out on the podium, but the team provided us with some of the best cars I’ve had. A massive thank you to everyone at Tickford and all our fans—bring on Adelaide!”
Looking ahead, the team is preparing for the final round of the season at the Valo Adelaide 500, scheduled for December 1-3. This event will mark the conclusion of the championship, and the team is keen to build on the positive momentum established this weekend.
TOYOTA 86 SERIES
In an electrifying display on Sunday at the Gold Coast, Charlie Nash wrapped up the final round of his 2024 Toyota 86 Series campaign with back-to-back standout performances.
In Race 2, Charlie began from P31, but with skill and precision, he fought his way through the pack to finish in P17—an impressive 14-place climb that underscored his ability to seize every opportunity. By keeping clear of the chaos from incidents around him, Charlie showed strong racecraft and composure under pressure, making it a race to remember. Charlie carried his momentum into Race 3, starting from P17 and pushing forward to finish in P10. His determined drive secured him another top-10 finish, capping off a weekend that demonstrated both his resilience and racing potential.
With the 2024 season now complete, Charlie’s results at the Gold Coast mark a promising close to his Toyota 86 Series journey this year, setting a strong foundation for what’s to come.
