Adelaide 500 - Day Three
SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER
MAIN GAME
Saturday brought a mix of highs and challenges for Tickford Racing at the Adelaide 500. The day started strong in Practice 3, with both Cam Waters and Thomas Randle making solid progress in refining their setups. Building on Friday’s learnings, the team felt positive about the direction of the cars heading into the Top Ten Shootout and Race 23.
The shootout delivered a major highlight as Cam claimed pole position and Thomas secured P2, marking a front-row lockout for Tickford Racing. It was a proud moment for the team, showcasing their speed and preparation on this demanding circuit. The achievement was a testament to the hard work behind the scenes and gave the drivers a great starting position for the race.
In Race 23, Cam brought home a podium with P3 after a challenging but determined drive. Reflecting on the day, he shared: “It’s one that got away, but I’m still happy with the result. Pole position was awesome, and the car felt great, especially late in stints. Unfortunately, a tyre mix-up cost us during the final stop, but we’re confident heading into tomorrow.” Cam also praised the team’s late-season progress, adding: “We’ve found our stride recently, and it’s paying off.”
Thomas rounded out the top five after leading the opening stint of the race. He commented: “I had a great start and led early, which was a fantastic feeling. We didn’t quite have the speed today to match the Red Bulls and Matt Payne, but the car ran clean, and we’ve got valuable data to work with overnight. P5 isn’t where we wanted to end up, but it’s a strong foundation to build on for tomorrow.”
With a front-row lockout in the shootout and both cars finishing strongly in the race, the team heads into Sunday confident and ready to push for a big result to close out the season.
DUNLOP SUPER 2 SERIES
The penultimate day of the Super2 Series at the Adelaide 500 brought its fair share of challenges and highlights for the Tickford Racing team. With only one race on the schedule, the drivers aimed to capitalise on their starting positions and navigate the demanding Adelaide Street Circuit.
Rylan Gray delivered a solid performance, finishing P5 after moving up from his starting position. Reflecting on his day, Rylan noted the result as a positive step forward, saying: “A good way to end the day, making up spots from where we started.”
Lochie Dalton had a tougher outing. After an average start, he maintained position until an incident saw him sent into the fence. Despite this setback, he managed to recover and cross the line in P9. “Not ideal—an average start, held position, but unfortunately got caught up and ended up in the fence. Still finished in ninth, so there’s something to take forward,” he explained.
Brad Vaughan faced challenges in Saturday's Dunlop Super2 Series race, finishing P14. Despite not achieving the desired result, Vaughan is maintaining a positive mindset for Sunday’s race. Reflecting on his day, he remarked, “Struggled with the car today, unfortunately had a last corner incident which dropped us down the order. Press on for tomorrow.”
The team is determined to regroup and apply the lessons learned from today to finish the season strong. With another chance to shine on Sunday, they are focused on unlocking the car's potential and capitalising on the final opportunity to secure a competitive result.
