Gray admits 2026 main game prospects '50/50'
Rylan Gray admits 2026 main game prospects "50/50"
Tickford teen didn't rule out move to Chevrolet next season
Gray embedded in Ford fold through Tickford, GT4 programme
Runaway Dunlop Super2 Series leader Rylan Gray has admitted that he is no certainty to break into the Repco Supercars Championship in 2026 despite his extraordinary run of form.
Gray added a second win to his season and career tallies on Saturday at Ipswich, and now has a 117-point lead over Tickford teammate Nash Morris heading into the final two rounds of the season at Bathurst and Adelaide.
The teenager is known to have spoken to a number of teams, and is keen to make the leap next season.
When asked about his chances of joining the grid in 2026, Gray said: "50/50, it's so hard to break into the main game nowadays.
"Most of the guys swap between teams, and it doesn't really leave space for young guys coming up, it's the hardest thing to get into the main game nowadays."
Gray is firmly entrenched in the Ford fold, both through Tickford Racing and the Blue Oval's GT4 programme with Miedecke Motorsport. However, he didn't rule out making a leap to General Motors.
The current silly season is ramping up; Cameron Hill (Matt Stone Racing), Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsport), David Reynolds (Team 18) and Bryce Fullwood (Brad Jones Racing) are all coming off contract at the end of the current season.
"We'll just focus on Super2 and trying to wrap up the championship here. We'll just keep out heads down, and hopefully something will come up," Gray added.
"I think just racing in the main game is the goal, so whether that be a Ford or a Chevy, I'm not sure."
Speaking in Darwin, Tickford CEO Simon Brookhouse said the team would support Gray's bid to look elsewhere, given Cam Waters and Thomas Randle are both signed to the end of 2027.
“He’s someone who is certainly part of the Tickford family and long term we’d love to be able to give him the opportunity in the main game,” said Brookhouse of Gray.
“But the difficulty is we’ve only got two cars and as everyone knows we’ve re-signed both Cam and Thomas for the next two years with a one-year option.
“It may well be that Rylan has to look elsewhere for a main game drive in the short term and we’d certainly be really supportive of that."
Gray will share a Tickford Mustang with Super2 teammate Lochie Dalton at The Bend and Bathurst.
