Randle's Super 2 Champion but pathway to Supercars drive unclear

Thomas Randle in his CTRS title year. Image by Bruce Jenkins

He's the Aussie that broke the mould: in a year when Kiwi drivers won the V8 Supercaries and the flagship Bathurst enduro, Thomas Randle won the V8 Super 2 feeder series.

But despite impressing at Mount Panorama this year this racer doesn't have a clear pathway to a big league V8 drive. Not yet anyway.

Randle, wqho was the first Aussie to win New Zealand's Castrol Toyota Racing Series, says he may have to bide his time as he seeks a permanent place on the Supercars grid.

The 24-year-old impressed last year in his championship debut as a wildcard entrant at The Bend, and in the Pirtek Enduro Cup, driving a Tickford Racing Mustang on each occasion. He was snapped up by Brad Jones Racing to co-drive this year’s enduros - though it turned out there would be only one, the big one.

He did double duty at Bathurst, continuing his push to the Super2 title as well as racing the main event. Going into the the Supercar silly season he has nothing lined up.

“It’s the musical chairs of racing at the moment. I’ll just try and see if we can get something sorted for next year and, if not, then maybe we’ll just do S5000 and race my dad’s sports sedan.Either way, I’ll be racing something, so I’m not too worried.”

Newly minted champion Scott McLaughlin is of course off to IndyCar and that starts dominoes toppling for the drivers but doesn't necessarily mean opportunities for the rising stars. Much of the movement is likely to be incumbent Supercars Championship drivers hopping from team to team.

“I think this market’s probably the most difficult that it ever has been. There certainly is a lot of driver movement, but that’s different to drivers leaving. There’s still quite a big market there and if you look at Bathurst, you’ve got co-drivers who have come directly out of the main game."

“It is tricky. There are only 24 seats and unfortunately you can’t just create a drive just like that. But, obviously, the goal is main series, Supercars, because I believe I’m ready for it.”

If a team doesn't snap this guy up soon I reckon they need their heads read.

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