MEET OUR FAVOURITE NEW MOTORSPORT DRIVER
A surprise last minute entrant, Thomas Randle has thrown his hat in the ring and will be joining the line up to fight it out for the NZ Grand Prix title and Kerrick is happy to be one of his sponsors.
Aside from Formula One, there are only three events in the world that get to have the prestigious status of being called a 'Grand Prix.' They are the New Zealand Grand Prix, the Pau Grand Prix and the Macau Grand Prix. This year’s NZ Grand Prix will see Nelson Piquet's son racing alongside numerous other international and Kiwi drivers, the high calibre of contestants will no doubt make for riveting viewing.
When asked how he felt about going into the race at such short notice, against some international heavy weights Randle responded. “I haven’t got as much recent track time as the other competitors but I did compete last year at the NZ Toyota Racing Series and placed 9th, so I have a good feel of what I’m in for. I’ve gained so much experience since this time last year and feel like I’ve really developed as a driver. I feel fresh and relaxed going into this, we’re in a really good place.”
Based in Australia, we wanted to know if Randle found any major differences between competing in New Zealand and Australia. He said, “The tracks are pretty similar in that they’re bumpy and twisty, leaving no room for error. The big difference for me is that all the Europeans come across for the race in New Zealand so the competition is much tougher.”Typical 19 year olds might intimidated going up against some of the big names in motorsport, with budgets we can only dream of, but not Randle! He found the idea of a difficult competition exhilarating and mused that if you aren’t being challenged you don’t grow and get better. We also asked how he thought they’d place this year, he said, “We’re relaxed going into this and hoping for a good result. The ultimate goal would be to win, that would be awesome, but we’re taking it as we go , we need to keep the car in good shape and stay calm and focused.”
Here at Kerrick we have a soft spot for young Randle. Not only do we have a long history with his father, legendary Kerrick Sports Sedans and V8 Super Car driver Dean Randle, but we’ve been sponsoring Thomas for some time. Thomas has a maturity beyond his years and can navigate tight turns and tricky scenarios with ease. At the same time he puts his foot down and drives harder than anyone we’ve seen in motorsport for some time. It’s hard not to like this kid; especially you see how he’s grown over the years. His Driver DB Rating Graph says it all, his exponential growth is undeniable. There’s no doubt Thomas Randle is one to watch.
Visit Thomas Randle’s Website or follow him on Facebook.
SEE THE RESULTS AND FIND OUT WHAT RANDLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE
Thomas Randle gets some air at the Toyota Racing Series 2015.