Supercars driver Thomas Randle enters the Taupō weekend ranked ninth in the championship, having claimed a podium finish at the first race of the season in Sydney in February. Photo / Mark Horsburgh
Supercars driver Thomas Randle enters the Taupō weekend ranked ninth in the championship, having claimed a podium finish at the first race of the season in Sydney in February. Photo / Mark Horsburgh
During next month’s running of the ITM Taupō Super440, Supercars will hold three races at the track: two 120km races on Saturday, and one 200km race on Sunday.
The driver who scores the most points across the weekend will be awarded the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, named after the Kiwi Supercars driver who died from cancer in 2011.
This year, fellow Australian racer Thomas Randle (No 55 Castrol Ford Mustang), of Tickford Racing, has his eyes on the trophy. Having endured a cancer battle of his own in 2020, it is a sentimental ambition for him.
“It’s so great that they had the trophy named after Jason for so many years now,” Randle said.
“What Jason not only brought as a driver, but as a human, as a person, to the sport and Supercars and ... the battle that he went through at the end and to still be racing through that ... that’s something that inspired me through my own personal challenges a few years ago. So, it would mean a lot to win the trophy.”
Randle enters the weekend ranked ninth in the Supercars championship, having claimed a podium finish at the first race of the season in Sydney in February.
He finished fifth in last year’s championship but is now on the cusp of his first Supercars race win.
“When we were there last year for Supercars for the first time in Taupō it was pretty much a packed crowd, and they all braved the wet weather on Saturday, so that was pretty cool and then Sunday was jam-packed as well. So [I’m] looking forward to seeing a huge crowd out there,” Randle said.
Regarding the track, he said it brought some challenges.
“It’s quite a unique circuit in that there is quite a lot of different changes in track surface. There is some good surface areas of the track and then some really poor track surfaces as well, so just trying to find a good car balance to ... suit them both and look after the tyre,” Randle said.
Taupo International Motorsport Park.
“I think it’s gonna be a great weekend ... Hopefully New Zealand or the northern island can put on maybe some kinder weather for everyone ... [but] it’s a great spot to hold a Supercars race.”
Meanwhile, Erebus Motorsport rookie Cooper Murray (No 99 Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro) has been impressive in the early stages of his first full Supercars season.
The 23-year-old has not been afraid to get his elbows out against some of the sport’s biggest names and recorded a pair of top-five starts at last week’s Australian Grand Prix.
Murray said after attending last year’s event to “watch and learn”, he was now looking forward to coming to New Zealand as a driver.
“The atmosphere there was crazy last year, so I’m really excited to go back there now as a driver.”
On-track action begins on Friday, April 11, while the popular Track to Town event where all 24 Supercars will drive from Taupō International Motorsport Park to the Taupō CBD will take place on Thursday, April 10.
Tickets are available online via Supercars.com and Ticketek.
