EXPECT to see much more of Thomas Randle running at the front in the Repco Supercars Championship.
That’s the message from Tickford Racing CEO Tim Edwards, after seeing the 2020 Super2 champion enjoy a breakthrough last weekend at The Bend.
Randle started and finished all three races of the OTR SuperSprint inside the top three, chalking up the first, second and third solo podiums of his career.
The South Australian circuit had already been at the centre of Randle’s biggest moments to date, including his main game debut in 2019, his first front row qualifying result last year and the mammoth start-line crash that followed.
With the monkey now off his back, Edwards expects Randle will build on his recent wave of success.
“It’s fantastic for Thomas: not only did he get his first podium but he got his first, second and third,” said Edwards.
“That I’m sure is going to be a sign of things to come in the future.”
Edwards though has been cautious about Ford’s form for the short term, with question marks over the degree to which their resurgence was circuit-specific.
“It’s been a tough year, it has been a bit of a drought for us,” he said.
“We’re used to being on the podium most weekends so it has been tough for the team, so this is a good uplift for the team, a good confidence booster.
“We’re certainly not confident that the same will be repeated at other rounds.”
Randle was joined on the Race 3 podium at Tailem Bend by Cam Waters, with that pair tipped to be Tickford’s two-driver line-up in 2024.
Despite showing sensational one-lap pace all season, Waters had not featured on the podium since Race 1 of the Newcastle 500.
“I wouldn’t say it changes my confidence a great deal but it’s nice to see the back of a Camaro and half be close and nearly be able to touch it,” said the Monster Energy Mustang driver, after trailing Brodie Kostecki across the line.
“It’s good that we got on the podium and were relatively competitive – quali we got smashed, but we’ll just keep chipping away.
“We’re going in the right way and hopefully we can keep closing that gap and hopefully get some wins.”
Next up is the Sandown 500 on September 15-17.
