TAUPŌ 440 - RACE HUB
SUNDAY
Sunday at the ITM Taupō Super400 delivered plenty of action, with three-part qualifying kicking off mid-morning ahead of Race 10. Both Tickford Racing drivers, Cam Waters and Thomas Randle, progressed through to the second session, with Waters clocking the 11th-fastest time and Randle seventh.
However, in the dying stages of Part 2, Waters ran deep into the Turn 11 hairpin, costing him a shot at the Top 10 Shootout and ultimately starting the race from P18. Randle, meanwhile, continued his strong run with a tidy lap to advance into the Shootout.
Randle rolled out early in the Top 10 Shootout and briefly held the top spot with a 1:26.117s lap. As the track conditions improved for the later runners, he was bumped down to P5 on the grid, just 0.412s off pole.
The 200-kilometre Race 10 got off to a clean start for both drivers. Randle made strong early progress, climbing to P2 at one stage and remaining in podium contention through the opening stint. Unfortunately, a slight miscue in his second stop cost valuable seconds in pit lane, and he ultimately crossed the line in fifth, 13.8 seconds behind the race winner.
Waters showed resilience, climbing steadily through the field and running just outside the top 10 before a delay in his second stop – due to an issue with the front-right wheel gun – cost him nearly 10 seconds and shuffled him back to P12 by the flag.
Despite the challenges, Waters remains firmly in championship contention, sitting second in the standings and just 34 points off the lead. Randle holds ninth overall as the team now turns its focus to the upcoming Tasmania SuperSprint in four weeks’ time.
Tickford Racing will be aiming for a more consistent outing at Symmons Plains as the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship continues to build momentum.
SATURDAY
A day of mixed results – Saturday at Taupo
Rolling out in the two-part qualifying for Race 8 on the category soft tyre saw Waters progress into the second phase, whilst Randle missed by a mere 0.008s and placed 12th. In the second phase Waters ended up qualifying in 3rd position with a 1.25.865s; 0.1646s from pole position.
Qualifying for race nine saw the field run on the new super soft compound and both Tickford cars progressed into the second stage, where qualifying was impacted by timing system disruptions. Waters finished in P6 with a 1:26.811s, and Randle in 10th with a 1:27.194s.
In Race 8, Waters delivered a strong performance getting away cleanly and maintaining position after an early safety car. A well-executed strategy and clean drive over the 60-lap contest delivered him a 2nd place and a return to the Championship lead. Randle however, endured a more difficult outing in the race. Picking up a bunch of spots through a well-timed pit stop under safety car, he had a 15 second penalty hanging over his head, before being spun and returning to the track in last position. He finished in 20th but was demoted to 22nd.
Race 9 saw Randle make strong gains on the first lap and make further progression throughout the race taking the checked flag in 6th place. Waters starting from 6th started on the outside of the track and entering turn one was forced wide where he lost a number of spots. Over the course of race he slipped further back finishing in 14th.
At the end of the day Waters was 12 points adrift of the Championship lead in 2nd position, and Randle in 9th.
With Sunday looming, the team will review both races and formulate a strategy overnight to maximise speed in a three-part qualifying session including a Top 10 Shootout.
FRIDAY
A double dose of practice sessions on the soft tyre compound saw the team start slowly in the day. The opening 30-minutes on track saw Waters complete 8 laps and his best of 1:27.622s on his sixth lap. Randle who logged 11 laps, executed with his fastest on lap 1, with a time of 1:27.681s. Both times had the team sitting 13th and 14th respectively.
The second practice session commenced in similar weather conditions with general cloud and mild temperatures. With the team working hard in the back ground to unlock more pace, Randle finished the second session in P3 with a time of 1:26.062s on lap 10 of 11 completed; 0.083s away from the fastest lap. Whilst Waters logged his fastest time of 1:26.480s on his last lap of practice 2.
Reviewing the day, there were some positives to draw from as the team looks to find more outright pace for the two qualifying sessions that tomorrow will bring. An additional element to throw further complication, will be the shift to a new super soft compound for the second of the two.
PREVIEW
Tickford Racing returns to the picturesque Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, aiming to build on valuable lessons learned from last year’s inaugural ITM Taupō Super400. With a season of development and stronger car performance under their belts, the team enters the 2025 edition with renewed confidence and determination.
Cameron Waters, driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang, is eager to tackle the high-degradation circuit once again:
“Taupō’s a cool track – it’s tight, technical, and has a lot of tyre deg. I’m excited to hit the track and go after some wins to try get the championship lead back.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Randle, behind the wheel of the No. 55 Castrol Racing Mustang, sees Taupō as a chance to keep the momentum rolling:
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Taupo, it’s awesome we get to race Supercars in front of the New Zealand fans! We struggled here as a team last year but have learnt a lot in the 12 months, so I’m ready to get stuck into it and give it a crack and see how we end up. A bit of excess baggage on the flight home would be nice!”
Team Principal Rod Nash believes the team is in a stronger position heading into this year’s event:
“We showed real pace this year, and we’re keen to unlock speed in Taupo. We’re working hard in the background and aiming to return with a clearer understanding of what the circuit demands. We need our package to be far more competitive in 2025.
With both drivers showing strong form in the opening round of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship and then a tougher run in Melbourne’s SuperSprint event, Tickford is keen to turn the tables and take a step forward at the second running of Supercars’ newest international event.
